Sodium
Also known as Salt (sodium chloride)
Sodium is an essential electrolyte that maintains fluid volume outside cells and supports nerve and muscle function. Only a small amount is required, and true deficiency is rare, while the far more common problem is excess: most people consume well above what they need, which raises blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. Intake levels are set as Adequate Intakes, paired with a Chronic Disease Risk Reduction level.
The recommended intake sits at about 65% of the level considered the safe daily ceiling, leaving comfortable headroom.
Why it matters
What it does in your body
- Fluid volume balance
- Nerve impulse transmission
- Muscle contraction
- Acid-base balance
- Nutrient transport across cell membranes
By age, sex, and life stage
How much you need
All sodium values are Adequate Intakes (AI), not RDAs. In the 2019 NASEM revision the adult AI is a flat 1500 mg for all adults 19 and older, with no increase for pregnancy or lactation. Separately, the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) intake advises reducing intake if it is above 2300 mg/day.
Recommended intake across life
in mg/dayBars scale to the highest recommendation shown. Where men and women differ, both values are listed.
Full reference table
| Life stage | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 0-6 mo | 110 (AI) | 110 (AI) |
| Infants 7-12 mo | 370 (AI) | 370 (AI) |
| Children 1-3 | 800 (AI) | 800 (AI) |
| Children 4-8 | 1000 (AI) | 1000 (AI) |
| Children 9-13 | 1200 (AI) | 1200 (AI) |
| Teens 14-18 | 1500 (AI) | 1500 (AI) |
| Adults 19+ | 1500 (AI) | 1500 (AI) |
| Pregnancy | n/a | 1500 (AI) |
| Lactation | n/a | 1500 (AI) |
Values in mg/day. AI marks an Adequate Intake, used when there is not enough evidence for a formal recommendation.
What moves the number
What changes your needs
Age
The AI rises from infancy to 1500 mg by the teen years and then holds flat for all adults; the CDRR reduction ceiling is also lower in children.
Sex
The sodium AI is identical for males and females at every adult life stage; there is no sex-based difference.
Body weight / size
The AI is set per age group rather than body weight, though people who sweat heavily through exercise or heat may need more to replace losses.
Pregnancy and lactation
The AI stays at 1500 mg because evidence does not show that pregnant or lactating women require more sodium than other adults.
Running low
Signs you might not get enough
Most at risk: Deficiency from diet is rare; it occurs mainly with prolonged heavy sweating during endurance exercise, severe vomiting or diarrhea, certain kidney conditions, and overconsumption of plain water in athletes.
Too much
Can you get too much?
Excess is the dominant public health concern. Most sodium comes from processed and restaurant foods, not the salt shaker. The CDRR advises adults consuming more than 2300 mg/day to cut back.
Where to get it
Best food sources
The bottom line
You need very little sodium, only about 1500 mg a day, but most people eat far more, largely from processed and restaurant foods rather than home salting. Keeping intake under 2300 mg helps protect blood pressure and heart health.
Track sodium automatically
Sodium is one of the 92 nutrients Vora reads from a photo of your meal, so you can see where you stand without weighing or logging by hand.
Sources and method
The recommended intakes, upper limits, and food-source amounts on this page come from the primary references below. Numbers were checked against the current NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets and the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academies) Dietary Reference Intakes.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Sodium information
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2019), Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium
This page is for general education, not medical advice. Reference intakes are population averages for healthy people and do not replace guidance from your doctor or a registered dietitian, especially if you are pregnant, managing a health condition, or considering supplements.