Question

5. What is the current recommendation regarding sodium intake? In other words, should you take steps to reduce your sodium intake? Why/why not?

Answer 1

Sodium is referred as a  salt. The body needs small amount of sodium intake less than 1500 milligrams or 1/4 teaspoon to function properly, plus healthy kidneys are great at retaining the sodium that your body needs. There's no reliable evidence that eating less than 1500 mg per day of sodium is risk for the general population , some evidence that it could be harmful to certain patients with congestive heart failure.

Most of our body's sodium resides in our blood and fluid surrounding the our cells, where it helps keep these fluid in balance. Along with maintaining normal fluid balance. Sodium plays key role in normal nerve and muscle function.

Sodium increases blood pressure, this effect is stronger in certain populations, making them more sensitive to salt and more prone to blood pressure related heart disease.

This limit was established based on evidence from clinical studies that sodium intakes more than 2,300 milligrams per day adversely affect blood pressure and increases heart disease risk. These guidelines don't apply to highly active people like competitive athelets, fire workers.

Some evidence suggests that reducing sodium intakes to recommended levels may be harmful. In both people high and normal blood pressure, consuming too little sodium has been Shown to worse health more than consuming too much.