How much sodium per meal

[dvcdank]

Hi Everyone!

I am new to the fitbit universe but I am loving it. I get lots of steps in every day. Ussually I will walk at lunch and then after work. I am eating a good whole foods diet(nothing processed). I am trying to stay under 1500 mg of sodium per day. Is there any information/websites out there on what each meal sodium intake should consist of? Is there a ratio for that? 

Thoughts??

[josephz2va]

myfitnesspal has a quick search of foods you're looking up to consume. My rule of thumb is to look at the cans for "low sodium" and avoid restaurants and fast foods as much as you can. They typically overload sodium like Red Lobster or Applebees.

[divedragon]

Hi and welcome to the community.

Sodium and in particular, salt in our diets has long been expressed as a watch out, but there is new evidence to cause a possible re-think of that position.  Here is a lecture series that disucsses the new research going on regarding this aspect of nutrition:

https://intensivedietarymanagement.com/part-7-aetiology-obesity-salt-scare/

In addition to that, Scientific American did a review of the studies related to high salt intake and found no strong evidence to support this:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/

And here is a study that reviewed a 10 year corrolation of salt intake with health issues:

https://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2091399

I personnally have never worried much about my salt intake.  In fact, my diet vice is salty snacks which I fight as hard and most people do with sweets.  I'm 57 and do not have high blood pressure or any other issues commonly attributed to high sodium.  It may not be as big a deal as we've been led to believe all these years.

[Wyllyam]

Thanks for the info Divedragon.  I also really appreciate the links, as I'm a data nerd and love accumulating as much knowledge as I can.

I find that if I do eat out during weight loss (I've done the major reboot twice in my life, this time 30 lbs, the first time 90!) that a high-salt meal or just a regular fast food meal will cause a 1-2 lb. weight gain.  Do you believe there's any truth the entire "retaining water" due to salt mythology?

[dvcdank]

Thanks!  
I understand the skeptisism on the rumor but that doest answer the question of how much salt should each meal be if you are on low salt due to hbp. I know my daily is under 1400 for the day. I dont eat out usually and most of my meals are at home. If i do eat out, I tend eat at better restaurants with healthy choices and tell the chef i want no salt on the protein if possible- brown rice , etc.  Usually My needs are granted. Maybe i am getting to granular with my quantification of foods i am eating. 

[dvcdank]

Additionally, I do notice that when I eat more salt than normal I do see a little spike in bp. I am not worried about water retention, but after seeing how much salt is in almost everything out there from hummus to soup, it is eye opening. 

[Raviv]

I think there is a difference between the guidelines for the average guy and those who have had high blood pressure most of their lives.  My mom's has been high since they first started measuring and even takes meds for it.  Mine has been low my whole life - like both systolic and diastolic are double digits most the time.  Guess I didn't get that gene. 🙂

For the average guy, reducing salt intake doesn't really do a whole lot, but if blood pressure is already an issue and has been for a while, it does seem to make a difference.  I think it kind of pushes them over the edge from normal to high because they're already tiptoeing the line.  Though, to be honest, I don't know what the minimum and maximum are.

[divedragon]

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@Wyllyam wrote:

I find that if I do eat out during weight loss (I've done the major reboot twice in my life, this time 30 lbs, the first time 90!) that a high-salt meal or just a regular fast food meal will cause a 1-2 lb. weight gain.  Do you believe there's any truth the entire "retaining water" due to salt mythology?

---

According to this:  http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/sodium

Sodium is involved in water retention or elimination in order to maintain a suitable level of saturation around cells.  The mechanism which causes this also constricts small blood vessels which can result in higher blood pressure; however, as others pointed out, that change may only be significant if a person already suffers from High blood pressure or is on the verge (pre-hypertensity). 

This paper also supports water rention:  http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/126/4/479.full.html

[awood08]

If you eat 3 meals a day I'd say keep it proportioned, 500 mg or less per meal. If you have several smaller meals than split it up that way. Just an idea 🙂

[divedragon]

Yes, some of the papers quoted above draw the same conclusion, so seems you're spot on!  But for most people, sodium intake is a non-issue and a slight increase isn't a bad thing so long as it remains in the healthy range.

[awood08]

@divedragon

I agree, my sodium and fat intake is a little higher than "desired" by most but hey, that's what works for my body. I think alot of people don't realize that what works for some, will not work for all even though every weight loss "plan" out there begs to differ.

[dvcdank]

I found this in my searches on the web. 

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm315393.htm