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Key takeaways
- WHO: less than 2,000 mg of sodium a day, which is less than 5 g of salt. Global average intake is about 4,310 mg, more than double.1
- US: less than 2,300 mg a day for anyone 14 and older; Americans average about 3,400 mg.2, 3
- American Heart Association: an ideal limit of 1,500 mg for most adults, especially with high blood pressure.4
- UK: no more than 6 g of salt a day, which is about 2,400 mg of sodium.5
- Over 70 percent of sodium in a typical diet comes from packaged and restaurant food, not from the salt you add.2
The limits, side by side
| Body | Daily limit (sodium) | As salt | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Health Organization1 | under 2,000 mg | under 5 g | Adults. Lower for children, scaled to energy needs. |
| US Dietary Guidelines and FDA2, 3 | under 2,300 mg | under about 5.8 g | Ages 14 and up. This is also the Daily Value on labels. |
| National Academies (2019 DRI)6 | 1,500 mg adequate intake; reduce if above 2,300 mg | 3.8 g; 5.8 g | The 2,300 mg figure is the chronic disease risk reduction level. |
| American Heart Association4 | under 2,300 mg, ideally 1,500 mg | under 5.8 g, ideally 3.8 g | Even a 1,000 mg reduction helps if you are far above. |
| NHS (UK)5 | about 2,400 mg | 6 g (about one teaspoon) | Adults. 2 g of salt for ages 1 to 3, 3 g for 4 to 6, 5 g for 7 to 10. |
Read together, the guidance is consistent: stay under roughly 2,000 to 2,300 mg of sodium a day, and lower is better if your blood pressure is high. Nobody with a healthy diet needs to worry about getting too little; sodium is in almost everything.
Salt versus sodium
Salt is sodium chloride, and sodium is about 40 percent of it by weight. To convert, multiply sodium in milligrams by 2.5 to get salt in milligrams, or divide salt by 2.5 to get sodium. One teaspoon of table salt is roughly 2,300 mg of sodium, a whole day's limit in a single spoon.2 US and Canadian labels list sodium; UK and EU labels list salt.
Why it matters
Sodium pulls water into the blood vessels, raising blood pressure, and high blood pressure is the leading risk factor for stroke and a major one for heart and kidney disease. The WHO estimates that about 1.89 million deaths a year are associated with eating too much sodium, and ranks sodium reduction among the most cost-effective public health measures available.1 Reducing intake lowers blood pressure in most people, with larger effects in those who already have hypertension, in older adults and in people of African descent.4
The DASH eating plan, developed by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, combines a lower-sodium diet with foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium, and is one of the best-studied dietary approaches to lowering blood pressure.8
Where it comes from
The salt shaker is a minority player. More than 70 percent of the sodium in a typical American diet comes from packaged, processed, store-bought and restaurant food.2 The largest contributors in the US Dietary Guidelines' analysis are mixed dishes rather than obviously salty snacks: sandwiches and burgers, rice and pasta dishes, pizza, meat and poultry dishes, soups, cured meats, savory snacks, cheese and bread.3
Bread deserves a special mention. A slice is not salty to the tongue, but at 100 to 200 mg a slice, a sandwich plus toast at breakfast is a quarter of the day before any filling. The same goes for breakfast cereal, cottage cheese and many sauces.
Reading it on a label
The Daily Value for sodium on US labels is 2,300 mg, so the usual 5 and 20 rule gives you: 115 mg or less per serving is low, 460 mg or more is high.2 The FDA also regulates the words on the front: "sodium-free" means under 5 mg per serving, "very low sodium" 35 mg or less, "low sodium" 140 mg or less, and "reduced sodium" at least 25 percent less than the regular product, which may still be a lot.2
In the UK, salt per 100 g is red on the traffic-light panel above 1.5 g and green at 0.3 g or less.5 For a deeper walk-through see how to read a nutrition facts label.
The potassium side
Potassium works against sodium, helping the kidneys excrete it and relaxing blood vessel walls. The WHO recommends at least 3,510 mg of potassium a day for adults, and notes that raising potassium lowers blood pressure in people with hypertension.7 The 2019 US Dietary Reference Intakes set adequate intakes of 3,400 mg for men and 2,600 mg for women.6 Good sources are potatoes, beans and lentils, spinach and other greens, bananas, yogurt, fish and tomatoes.
If you have chronic kidney disease or take medicines that raise potassium, such as some blood pressure drugs, do not increase potassium without your doctor's advice. Your kidneys may not be able to clear it.
Practical ways to cut it
- Cook more of your own meals. Restaurant and ready-made dishes are the biggest single source, and home cooking gives you control over the only ingredient that matters here.
- Compare labels in the same category. Bread, cereal, soup and sauces vary two to three times between brands for the same product.
- Rinse canned beans and vegetables. Draining and rinsing removes a meaningful share of the sodium in the liquid.
- Season with acid and aromatics. Lemon, vinegar, garlic, herbs, chili and black pepper deliver flavor that salt was covering for.
- Taper rather than quit. Taste preference for salt adapts over a few weeks; a gradual cut is easier to keep than a sudden one.
- Watch the sweet foods too. Bread, pastries and cereal contribute more sodium than most people expect.
Questions people ask
Is sodium the same as salt?
No. Salt is sodium chloride, and sodium is about 40 percent of it by weight. Multiply sodium in milligrams by 2.5 to get salt. The WHO limit of 2,000 mg of sodium equals 5 g of salt; the NHS limit of 6 g of salt equals about 2,400 mg of sodium.1, 5
How much sodium is in a teaspoon of salt?
About 2,300 mg, which is a full day's limit under US guidelines in one spoon.2
Do I need more sodium if I sweat a lot?
Sweat does contain sodium, and people doing long, hot endurance events can lose enough to matter. For everyday exercise, most people already eat far more than they lose, and normal meals replace it. Drinking large volumes of plain water during very long events without any sodium is the situation to avoid; see our guide to how much water to drink.
What counts as a low-sodium food on a label?
Under FDA rules, "low sodium" means 140 mg or less per serving, "very low sodium" 35 mg or less, and "sodium-free" under 5 mg. As a rule of thumb, 5 percent of the Daily Value (115 mg) or less per serving is low.2
Does sea salt or Himalayan salt have less sodium than table salt?
By weight, no. The American Heart Association notes that sea salt and table salt have essentially the same sodium content; the differences are in texture, flavor and trace minerals, not in the amount of sodium.9 Coarser crystals can mean slightly less sodium per teaspoon because they pack less densely, but the gram-for-gram value is the same.
How Calobook uses this
Calobook gives every plan a daily sodium guardrail and counts sodium from photos, barcodes and labels toward it. If you told the app you have high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure, the fit score flags a high-sodium meal for you specifically, in the moment, rather than as a number buried in a weekly report.
A fit score for every meal, built around your conditions, with sodium counted against your own daily limit.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Sodium reduction (fact sheet)
- US Food and Drug Administration. Sodium in Your Diet
- US Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025
- American Heart Association. How much sodium should I eat per day?
- NHS. Salt in your diet
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019).
- World Health Organization. Guideline: Potassium intake for adults and children (2012).
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. DASH Eating Plan
- American Heart Association. Sodium Sources: Where Does All That Sodium Come From?
This article is general nutrition information written by the Calobook team from the sources listed above. It is not medical advice and does not replace a consultation with a doctor or registered dietitian. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18, or managing a medical condition, talk to a professional before changing your diet. Last reviewed October 17, 2026.