Should You Beat the Heat with MORE Salt? A Review on Sodium and Electrolyte Drinks
Should You Beat the Heat with MORE Salt? A Review on Sodium and Electrolyte Drinks
Sodium (salt) is an essential nutrient required for the body and is involved in blood pressure regulation, and nervous system and muscle functioning. It is estimated that the body needs about 500mg of sodium per day to function properly, under normal conditions.
Salt packets, like LMNTs are all the rage these days with influencers recommending 2-4x the recommended daily sodium intake. I recently started drinking them and my biofeedback said YES please! But, who else does this apply to, and most importantly, does it apply to you?
Should we have this much sodium? What about the dangers of too much? What is too much?
For reference: one packet of LMNT contains 1000mg.
TUL: The highest average daily intake, that if consumed daily will not cause harm, according the dietary guidelines is 2300mg. Intaking amounts beyond this may lead to high blood pressure.
When we look at the data, higher sodium diets don't cause high blood pressure in everyone. It appears that the people at lowest risk for CVD can tolerate and benefit from more than 2300mg/day. All data is correlational, not causal. The relationship is a classic j shaped, showing that folks with very low and very high sodium have higher CVD mortality rates.
The lowest point on that j-shaped is 3000-6000mg. This means that the 2300mg dietary guidelines, not to mention the 1500mg recommended by the AHA, is actually in the high risk category. Average is 3500mg/day.
Meta analysis found that cutting down on the amount of salt did not reduce CVD risk. This is what is driving salt water packets.
Should I drink LMNT packets?
Is your diet low in sodium?
Eating fresh foods means your diet is likely low in sodium.
Do you have a diet high in fruits and veggies?
A high potassium intake offsets a high sodium intake. Most of the sodium (70-80% comes from processed and prepared foods- eating out and packaged snacks).
If you don't have high blood pressure- test the sodium. If you have a family history of HTN or are taking any medication, in the context of a healthy diet, you could increase your sodium intake to 4000mg/day and feel better.
Abnormal Circumstance
Extreme heat or sweating.
Does adding sodium to water make your water hyper-hydration?
If you sodium intake is low (like after running a marathon) you can benefit from having some sodium in your water/meal as it will enhance the uptake of glucose into your cells.
I hope this helped you navigate the sodium packet rage and remember, if you do have a family history or are on medications please consult with your health care provider before adding in a sodium packet.
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