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Sodium myths: when the 2,300 mg number actually matters

2026-04-04 · 4 min read

U.S. dietary guidelines cap sodium at 2,300 mg/day for adults; the AHA pushes 1,500 mg for people with hypertension. The data behind these numbers is more nuanced than headlines suggest.

For people with hypertension or salt-sensitive blood pressure, lowering sodium reliably lowers BP. The DASH-low-sodium trial showed a 7–8 mmHg systolic reduction at 1,500 mg vs 3,300 mg.

For normotensive people, the evidence is weaker and the lower-end of intake (<1,500 mg) is associated with worse outcomes in some cohorts (J-shaped curve). Common sense for healthy adults: don't go out of your way to chase low sodium, but don't ignore it either.

The realistic high-sodium hot spots are: restaurant meals, frozen entrees, deli meat, canned soup, sauces and condiments, and ultra-processed snacks. Cooking at home with salt to taste rarely gets anyone in trouble.

If you've declared hypertension in onboarding, WellSignal tilts the sodium dimension's weight in your daily score and personalizes meal-plan suggestions toward DASH-pattern recipes.