Sodium receives so much bad press that people often forget it’s an essential nutrient. In partnership with potassium, sodium regulates the body’s fluid balance by controlling the flow of water in and out of individual cells. Sodium also stimulates nerve impulses and helps maintain a balance between acid and alkali.
There’s no recommended daily allowance for sodium. The National Research Council has established the estimated minimum requirement as 500 mg daily. The American Heart Association suggests 3,000 mg daily. Americans consume 4,000 to 6,000 mg per day.
Table salt contains about 2,000 mg of sodium per teaspoon. Salt added to foods in cooking and at the table makes up about one third of the sodium consumed by the average American. The rest comes from salt added to processed foods.
