By Lauren Capano, Dietetic Intern, College of Saint Elizabeth

Sodium, specifically low-sodium foods and diets, is a popular subject in health and wellness. You may have seen sodium mentioned everywhere from the grocery aisles to restaurant menus to your doctor’s office. What exactly is sodium, what makes a food low-sodium, and how much sodium should you really be eating? The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine is a non-profit organization that provides expert advice to help inform the public on pressing matters of science and medicine. This includes publishing objective, high-quality nutrition advice. In 2019 they updated their previous 2005 sodium and potassium recommendations, taking into account all of the latest research on how these nutrients affect our health.

Sodium and potassium are two nutrients that are essential, or necessary, for human health. The National Academies have looked at them together because their functions are related, and they both have an effect on blood pressure. Knowing this information is important because high blood pressure is a risk factor for chronic disease, particularly cardiovascular disease. The National Academies 2019 recommendations for sodium and potassium intake are intended to promote health and reduce chronic disease risk in the healthy, adult population.

The new recommended sodium intake for healthy adults aged 19-50 is the same as it was in 2005. The recommendations for adults age 51 and older have been increased to match that of the younger adult population. The National Academies report that 1,500 milligrams per day is adequate. We need sodium to balance the fluid in our bodies, send nerve signals, and help with muscle contraction. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults limit their sodium intake to below 2,300 milligrams per day. The National Academies recommends that if you are eating more than that amount every day, that you should try to decrease your intake. This will help to lessen your risk for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. However, many US adults are eating far more than that amount. Keep in mind that 1 teaspoon of table salt provides 2,325 milligrams of sodium, which is your recommended maximum amount. Sodium is found in very high amounts in processed foods such as bread, pizza, cheese, soups, fast food, and prepared foods. Ready-made vegan foods, such as frozen vegan entrees and canned soups, can have upwards of 1,000 milligrams of sodium in a serving. Even “sodium-conscious” brands tend to have at least 600 milligrams of sodium per serving. Reducing your sodium intake will require you to pay a little more attention to the nutrition labels on foods that you purchase. Foods with less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving are considered low-sodium foods, and foods with more than 300 milligrams of sodium per serving may be difficult to include on a low-sodium diet. Another great way to lower your sodium intake is to try preparing meals at home with whole, fresh ingredients. You can use herbs, spices, and citrus to add flavor to your food instead of using a lot of salt while cooking, and then add whatever salt you need at the table. The Vegetarian Resource Group has some low-sodium menus you can check out for ideas and recipes here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2005issue4/2005_issue4_lowsodium.php

The recommended potassium intakes have been lowered and are now more applicable to the healthy adult population. The recommended intake was originally established to prevent salt-sensitive rises in blood pressure in specific populations, but it now reflects the needs of the general, healthy, adult population.  Adult females should consume at least 2,600 milligrams per day and adult males should consume at least 3,400 milligrams per day. There is no upper limit for potassium intake, so it is safe to consume more than these amounts. We need potassium because, much like sodium, it helps regulate our body fluids, muscle contractions, and nerve signals. It also promotes bone density and helps to lower blood pressure. High potassium foods such as potatoes, apricots, lentils, prunes, adzuki or white beans, and tomatoes are just a few food choices that you can include in your diet to get these benefits. Consuming a diet rich in a variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes will not only help you reach your potassium goals, it will also provide you with other vitamins, minerals and fibers that promote health.

Sodium and Potassium Recommendations

Potassium Food Sources

Sources:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2019.

Heart Failure Nutrition Therapy. Nutrition Care Manual. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutritioncaremanual.org. 2019.

Potassium. Fact sheet for professionals. National institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Potassium-HealthProfessional/#h2 2019.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015.

Sodium: How to tame your salt habit. The Mayo Clinic. Mayoclinc.org. 2016. Accessed May 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/sodium/art-20045479

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.