For the most part, healthy kidneys will keep sodium at an ideal level in the body ... any excess is excreted in the urine.

If you have high blood pressure, congestive heart disease, liver disease or kidney disease, the recommendation is to follow a low-salt diet. Low-salt generally means less than 2300mg sodium per day, equivalent to 1 teaspoon of salt (table salt is 40% sodium).

If you're drinking lots and your kidneys are healthy, then it's unlikely excess sodium will be a problem. Sodium is also excreted in sweat, so if you live in a hot climate or engage in vigorous exercise, then you'll be losing sodium that way too. In fact, if you sweat a lot you might consider keeping your sodium intake at the higher end of the scale.


Doreen