Is sodium really bad?

bikermike5094
bikermike5094 Posts: 1,752 Member
in Food and Nutrition
my sodium is usually above MFP guidelines but i drink tons of water everyday.. so should I really be concerned with sodium content?

Replies

  • wisebadger53
    wisebadger53 Posts: 382 Member
    I set mine at 1,500mg/day initially, and learned how to stay close to that by adjusting what I was eating. It helped to bring my blood pressure way down, and I began to lose weight much faster. I now have it set at 1,800 (still below the 2,500 that MFP suggests), and that change didn't seem to make a big difference.

    I also have read that getting enough potassium along with limiting your sodium is at least as important as drinking water.

    **edited...I still do go over from time to time, but try to average 1,800/day or less.
  • dotti1121
    dotti1121 Posts: 751 Member
    I eat ALOT of sodium, but my doctor says my sodium levels are actually low? I'm curious to hear what others have to say about this subject...
  • bikermike5094
    bikermike5094 Posts: 1,752 Member
    can you combat high sodium intake by drinking more water and maybe taking a diuretic?
  • HealthyBodySickMind
    HealthyBodySickMind Posts: 1,207 Member
    my blood pressure is already low, like sometimes too low. if i'm feeling faint, i go to mcd's, get fries and add salt to them. not even joking.

    i set mine above where mfp set it because i need it that high to keep my blood pressure up.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,223 Member
    Sodium isn't bad, it's actually essential for life. Too much sodium generally points to a diet that has a lot of processed and fast foods and in that respect sodium is probably not the problem.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I learned my clinical nutrition class that most people aren't sensitive to sodium. However, at least 10% of the population is highly sensitive to it. Since there's no way to distinguish between those who will get high blood pressure on a high sodium diet and those who won't, it's recommended that everyone cut back on their sodium intake. So for most people on a relatively normal diet, sodium won't be an issue, but it's always good to be safe. I wouldn't worry about it too much if your blood pressure is well within the normal range.
  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
    My blood pressure was good even when I was 340 lbs. I don't think I have a sodium problem. I don't even really check my sodium intake. I don't own a salt shaker though. I suppose I get plenty from the food I eat. No need to add more. I'd be willing to bet genetics plays more of a role in high blood pressure than anything else, but that isn't saying monitoring your diet and sodium intake doesn't play a part. Just throwing my 2 pennies in there.
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
    Sodium isn't bad - the daily recommended is 2500mg.. anything over that will just be removed by the body in urine.
    Too much sodium will just make your body hold on to water, just don't get on the scale. :)
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
    Sodium isn't bad, it's actually essential for life. Too much sodium generally points to a diet that has a lot of processed and fast foods and in that respect sodium is probably not the problem.

    Too much sodium can be bad, it can trap water around your heart which can cause your blood pressure to go high (since your heart will now have to use more power to beat) and it can harden your arteries. But we must have some sodium since its needed for many vital functions. Its recommended to have 1500 of sodium a day.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Too much sodium can be bad, it can trap water around your heart which can cause your blood pressure to go high (since your heart will now have to use more power to beat) and it can harden your arteries.

    Wow, that's the first time I've ever heard that explanation for high blood pressure...
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,223 Member
    Sodium isn't bad, it's actually essential for life. Too much sodium generally points to a diet that has a lot of processed and fast foods and in that respect sodium is probably not the problem.

    Too much sodium can be bad, it can trap water around your heart which can cause your blood pressure to go high (since your heart will now have to use more power to beat) and it can harden your arteries. But we must have some sodium since its needed for many vital functions. Its recommended to have 1500 of sodium a day.
    where around the heart is this water trapped.
  • missprincessjenny
    missprincessjenny Posts: 104 Member
    Sodium isn't bad, it's actually essential for life. Too much sodium generally points to a diet that has a lot of processed and fast foods and in that respect sodium is probably not the problem.

    Too much sodium can be bad, it can trap water around your heart which can cause your blood pressure to go high (since your heart will now have to use more power to beat) and it can harden your arteries. But we must have some sodium since its needed for many vital functions. Its recommended to have 1500 of sodium a day.
    where around the heart is this water trapped.

    I'm going to guess they mean the pericardium. But that's not that common. What's more common is excess sodium causes you to retain fluid, increasing blood volume, which leads to the heart having to work harder. Eventually this can lead to high blood pressure as the arteries are overworked. But like one poster said...high blood pressure is highly genetic.

    That being said I wouldn't routinely go over sodium requirements and watch where your getting it from. You do need sodium to function but too much of it isn't that good either.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,223 Member
    Sodium isn't bad, it's actually essential for life. Too much sodium generally points to a diet that has a lot of processed and fast foods and in that respect sodium is probably not the problem.

    Too much sodium can be bad, it can trap water around your heart which can cause your blood pressure to go high (since your heart will now have to use more power to beat) and it can harden your arteries. But we must have some sodium since its needed for many vital functions. Its recommended to have 1500 of sodium a day.
    where around the heart is this water trapped.

    I'm going to guess they mean the pericardium. But that's not that common. What's more common is excess sodium causes you to retain fluid, increasing blood volume, which leads to the heart having to work harder. Eventually this can lead to high blood pressure as the arteries are overworked. But like one poster said...high blood pressure is highly genetic.

    That being said I wouldn't routinely go over sodium requirements and watch where your getting it from. You do need sodium to function but too much of it isn't that good either.
    Yes, chronic high blood pressure isn't good, and chronic high consumption of salt is the byproduct of a very unbalanced diet, generally processed and fast food, which is the root of the problem, not the salt. Also salt doesn't cause high blood pressure but can exasperate an existing problem. Changing a diet to a more natural one, salt can basically be reduced to almost nothing. People are focusing on the wrong thing.
  • durhamity
    durhamity Posts: 174 Member
    I don't know the complete science of it, but its a matter of getting the right balance of sodium and potassium. Those levels effect each or something like that... Betcha could google it if you were really interested in it.

    edit: http://www.naturalnews.com/024539_potassium_sodium_diet.html (I googled it) :wink:
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    Eat a consistent amount of sodium each day, your kidneys will be able to filter a regular sodium intake.
    When you increase your sodium intake, the kidneys can't remove the excess it isn't use to filtering, so water is retained since water always follows salt. This increases blood volume and blood pressure.
    However, if you consistently keep eating high sodium, your kidney's will compensate to remove that consistent amount.

    I eat 10g of salt each day, my BP is 106/68
    Salt is extremely essential for exercise
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    my sodium is usually above MFP guidelines but i drink tons of water everyday.. so should I really be concerned with sodium content?

    Yes, I think you should be. Too much can be bad for your health.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt/lower-sodium-and-salt/index.html#hazards-of-too-much-sodium
  • bm99
    bm99 Posts: 597 Member
    If you're hydrating, your blood pressure is normal and you don't super bloat from eating salt, why not?

    I usually go over by a 1000 or two, but I really have no reason to be concerned about sodium.
  • Kalynx
    Kalynx Posts: 707 Member
    can you combat high sodium intake by drinking more water and maybe taking a diuretic?

    some diuretics strip you of potassium - potassium and sodium need to be pretty well balanced for your cells to be happy so I would be careful with that - also the more water you drink sometimes the more water you will retain.
  • jenniejengin
    jenniejengin Posts: 784 Member
    bump
  • Kalynx
    Kalynx Posts: 707 Member
    My understanding is that too much sodium and sugar in your blood is what causes scrapes and tears inside your arteries, vessels and all that..that's how people that are dietetic sometimes lose their sight, how plaque build ups have a place to stick and get larger over time(a blockage), and the fun thing about a blood vessel swelling so much it bursts and you have a stroke. Yeah that's extreme but a lifetime of abuse can lead to serious problems. I had to learn the hard way.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,992 Member
    I'm Asian. I bleed sodium.:laugh:

    In reality, sodium in high amounts really only affects those who are sensitive to it or have high blood pressure. Of course a symptom of it is water retention if you aren't getting in enough water. But for many high sodium doesn't affect their health.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bjohs
    bjohs Posts: 1,225 Member
    my sodium is usually above MFP guidelines but i drink tons of water everyday.. so should I really be concerned with sodium content?

    Have your doctor run all the routine tests. If they come out normal, you're fine for now. But try to cut back a little at a time. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500mg per day for a healthy heart. But our bodies do need sodium to survive... just not as much as people are having in all the processed food these days.
  • beachbumant_man
    beachbumant_man Posts: 48 Member
    -
  • toriaenator
    toriaenator Posts: 423 Member
    not really important unless you have high blood pressure or bloating issues! but the cleaner / less processed you eat, the less sodium!
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Sodium doesn't necessarily mean you get bloaty. What causes that is a combination of excess sodium and insufficient potassium intake. It's all about electrolyte balance.

    If you are bloating from the high sodium, try to balance your potassium intake by eating more foods that are potassium rich: potatoes, spinach, bananas, beans, starchy veggies. Also, try to limit your frozen, prepackaged, and restaurant foods.

    If you have high blood pressure, then you should talk to your doctor about what is an appropriate sodium intake. Otherwise, if you don't mind the water retention, don't worry about it.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Why do people always say clean eating means no sodium? I use salt in my cooking. I make everything from scratch and routinely eat 2500-3500mg of sodium a day. Since when does clean eating mean bland food?

    Unless you are sensitive (a small minority) or have high blood pressure, there are no health risks to consuming salt. In fact, most of the research that's been done actually shows high sodium intakes actually have a protective effect on healthy people, protecting against heart disease and stroke, the things that the anti-sodium crowd blame salt for. Ironic, don'tcha think?
  • VMarkV
    VMarkV Posts: 522 Member
    My understanding is that too much sodium and sugar in your blood is what causes scrapes and tears inside your arteries, vessels and all that..that's how people that are dietetic sometimes lose their sight, how plaque build ups have a place to stick and get larger over time(a blockage), and the fun thing about a blood vessel swelling so much it bursts and you have a stroke. Yeah that's extreme but a lifetime of abuse can lead to serious problems. I had to learn the hard way.
    No, that's from neoropathy/poor circulation from blood not being able to reach certain areas of the body. It's from a lack of oxygen being delivered from blood. Sugar/salt doesn't sit in the blood stream
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,223 Member
    Why do people always say clean eating means no sodium? I use salt in my cooking. I make everything from scratch and routinely eat 2500-3500mg of sodium a day. Since when does clean eating mean bland food?

    Jump to conclusions much? I never said clean eating mean no sodium and didn't say clean eating means bland food. If someone wants to reduce their salt intake, reducing processed food does that by default and how much someone uses from there is up to the individual, personally I use a good amount daily, I think it's the most important mineral on the planet, but then again I'm a chef.
  • KristalDawnO
    KristalDawnO Posts: 154 Member
    Most definitely it is for me. I'm a human water balloon.

Categories