Sodium performs many essential functions in the body. But the National Academy of Sciences has established that every person should consume at least 500 mg per day, and that adults should stay within the range of 1,100 to 3,300 mg a day. The American Heart Association recommends that for every 1,000 calories consumed, the sodium intake should be 1,000 mg and should not exceed 3,000 mg per day. The average sodium intake in the United States is between 4,000 and 5,000 mg per day. This is a lot, as one teaspoon of table salt contains 2,300 mg of sodium.
Sodium helps cause high blood pressure in some people.
Anyone with this problem needs to cut or reduce the amount of sodium in his or her diet.