Fluid balance
Sodium is the principal positively charged ion in extracellular fluid.
Sodium
Mineral & electrolyteSodium is an electrolyte your body needs for fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle function. Most dietary sodium comes from salt added to prepared and packaged foods.
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What it is
What Is Sodium?
Sodium is an electrolyte your body needs for fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle function. Most dietary sodium comes from salt added to prepared and packaged foods.
You do not need to memorize a nutrient chart. The useful part is knowing where it shows up in food, roughly how much you need, and what that can look like on an actual plate.
What the body uses it for
What Sodium Actually Does
Nerve impulses
Sodium movement across cell membranes helps generate nerve signals.
Muscle function
Sodium gradients participate in normal muscle-cell electrical activity.
Transport
Sodium gradients help drive transport of glucose and other molecules across membranes.
How much you need
How Much Do You Need?
Recommended amounts depend on the nutrient, age, sex, and life stage. Some compounds do not have an established Dietary Reference Intake.
Use the authoritative source below for the current RDA, AI, upper limit, or other guidance that applies to Sodium.
See current intake guidance →Food sources
Where Sodium Shows Up in Food
You do not need to memorize this list. These are everyday examples of foods that can contribute Sodium. Amounts can change with serving size, variety, preparation, and fortification.
Table salt
Bread
Cheese
Soups and sauces
Packaged foods
Food composition reference: USDA FoodData Central.
Make it useful
What Does That Look Like on a Plate?
Knowing what is in your food is useful. Knowing what to do with it is better. Pick a food. Find a recipe. See what you already have. Plan the meal. Buy what is missing. Then go eat food.
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A little context matters
When More Isn't Better
Sodium guidance may be individualized for people with certain medical conditions. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg/day for most adults.
Food and supplements are not the same thing. Supplements can deliver much larger doses. Medications, pregnancy, kidney or liver function, allergies, and other health circumstances can change what is appropriate.
Evidence & trusted sources
Where This Information Comes From
Dietary Guidelines for Americans – SodiumPrimary nutrient reference
USDA FoodData CentralFood composition and nutrient data
Evidence last reviewed: October 2026
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