Sodium Intake Limit Calculator - WHO & AHA Guidelines

Your Profile

Health Status

Your Results

Your Sodium Limit

0mg

per day

Equivalent Salt

0g

≈ 0 teaspoons

Guideline

WHO

Recommendation

⚠️ High-Sodium Foods to Watch

• Processed meats: 500-1000mg/serving
• Canned soup: 700-1200mg/cup
• Soy sauce (1 tbsp): 900mg
• Cheese (1 oz): 150-300mg

• Bread (1 slice): 100-200mg
• Pizza (1 slice): 500-800mg
• Restaurant meal: 2000-5000mg
• Pickles (1 medium): 300mg

Guidelines & Formulas

Sodium Limits by Organization

WHO (General Population): <2000 mg sodium/day (<5g salt)

AHA (Ideal): <1500 mg sodium/day for most adults

AHA (Maximum): <2300 mg sodium/day (≈1 teaspoon salt)

Hypertension/Heart Disease: <1500 mg sodium/day (strict)

Athletes (high sweat loss): May need 3000-4000 mg/day

Sodium to Salt Conversion

Salt (g) = Sodium (mg) × 2.5 / 1000
1g salt contains 400mg sodium (40%)

Why Limit Sodium?

Excess sodium raises blood pressure by increasing blood volume
High blood pressure increases risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease
Even modest reduction (1000mg/day) significantly lowers blood pressure
Most sodium (70-75%) comes from processed and restaurant foods, not table salt

How to Reduce Sodium

Cook at home - restaurant meals contain 2-5× more sodium than home-cooked
Read nutrition labels - choose products with <140mg sodium per serving
Rinse canned foods (beans, vegetables) to remove 30-40% sodium
Use herbs, spices, lemon, vinegar for flavor instead of salt
Avoid adding salt at the table - taste buds adapt to less salt within 2-3 weeks
Choose fresh/frozen vegetables over canned
Limit processed meats (bacon, deli meats, sausage)
Use "low-sodium" or "no salt added" versions when available

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between sodium and salt? ▼

Salt (sodium chloride) is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. 1 teaspoon of salt contains about 2300mg sodium. Nutrition labels list sodium, not salt. To convert: multiply sodium by 2.5 to get equivalent salt amount.

Can sodium be too low? ▼

Yes. Hyponatremia (very low sodium) can occur from excessive sweating + drinking too much water, certain medications, or medical conditions. Minimum requirement is ~500mg/day, but most healthy people get far more than needed. Athletes may need more to replace sweat losses.

Does sea salt or pink Himalayan salt have less sodium? ▼

No. All types of salt (table, sea, Himalayan, kosher) contain approximately the same amount of sodium by weight. The mineral content difference is negligible. The only advantage is slightly larger crystal size, which may help you use less.

References & Sources

📚

WHO - Salt Reduction Fact Sheet

World Health Organization guidelines on sodium intake

📚

American Heart Association - Sodium Recommendations

AHA guidelines for sodium intake and heart health