How much salt should you consume?

The “Goldilocks” amount of salt according to the Harvard School of Public Health, the daily recommended intake is 1,500mg (1.5g or 2/3rd of a teaspoon) to 2400mg (2.4g or .5tsp) of sodium a day to complete the vital functions of our bodies daily;

  • conducting nerve impulses

  • contracting and relaxing muscles

  • maintain the proper balance of water and minerals in the body

  • mitigates insomnia and provides better sleep

Consuming too little salt can lead to organ failure, cold extremities, dry tongue, dizziness, low blood pressure, and thirst.

Consuming too much salt can have adverse effects on the body such as increasing blood pressure or can even pull calcium out from the bones, which could relate to osteoporosis. However, According to Redmond Life, salt intake for athletes should be much higher at 5,000mg (5g or 1tsp) to 7,000mg (7g or 1.5tsp) depending on how much sweat is produced.

What is the biggest source of sodium in the standard American diet? most people consume 3,400mg of sodium per day, but this is normally not added salt. This sodium comes from highly processed foods and snack foods.

Additional Reading: The Salt Fix

Sources:

Bio-Medical Central: https://bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-020-02051-w

Sicilian Sea Salt: https://sicilianseasalt.com/blog/f/what-is-sicilian-sea-salt

Redmond Life: https://redmond.life/blogs/live-your-journey/heres-how-much-sodium-you-should-really-have-per-day

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