courage wrote:Dear Dr.Jeff,
what is the actual recommended amount of sodium per day (if possible in grams, but I can transfer ounces in an online calculator)?
I have absolutely no idea, if this is a few grains or several spoons or if salt is recommended at all, except being a seasoning in dishes
Hi,
The minimum required is estimated to be around 115 mgs per day and we know the Yanomamo Indians survive on less than 200 mgs per day without any adverse effects from this low level. The 10th RDAs set the recommended safe minimum at 500 mgs per day.
The Institute of Medicine, set the recommended intake at 1200-1500 mgs per day for healthy adults without hypertension. They also set the Upper Limit, or the maximum daily intake at 2300 mgs.
A tsp of table salt is 2200 mgs. A tsp of sea salt is around 2000 mgs.
The average American takes in around 4000-5000 mgs a day and a recent study in showed similar intake levels in a Danish population.
These are general recommendations and may need to be lower depending on health/medical issues.
You can read some more of my comments on this topic here
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5966
In Health
Jeff