Myth: Sodium Is Bad for You
Somewhere along the way, salt became a dietary villain. We’re told to fear it, avoid it, and choose "low-sodium" everything. But is sodium really the bad guy it’s made out to be—or is this another oversimplified rule that’s more about diet culture than health?
1. ✅ The Truth About Sodium and Health
Sodium is an essential mineral that your body needs for fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contraction. While extremely high intakes can be harmful for some people—particularly those with salt-sensitive hypertension—most healthy individuals can tolerate a wide range of sodium intake without harm (Graudal et al., 2014). In fact, overly restrictive sodium intake can lead to dizziness, fatigue, and hyponatremia, especially for people recovering from eating disorders, or anyone who isn’t eating enough (Puckett, 2023). Blanket sodium fear mongering isn’t based in nuance—it’s based in diet culture’s obsession with control.
2. 🧂 The Nuance: Context, Health History, and Individual Needs Matter
Yes, some people may benefit from reducing sodium—particularly if they have certain medical conditions like high blood pressure that is known to be salt-sensitive (Mente et al., 2016 and He et al., 2021). But for others (especially those in recovery from restriction, dehydration, or overexercise), low sodium can make things worse. Sodium needs can increase with heat, undereating, physical activity, or fluid loss—conditions common in eating disorder recovery. The real issue is not sodium itself, but extreme or uninformed messaging. As always, context matters.
3. 📚 Scientific References
Graudal, N., Jürgens, G., Baslund, B., & Alderman, M. H. (2014). Compared with usual sodium intake, low- and excessive-sodium diets are associated with increased mortality: a meta-analysis. American Journal of Hypertension, 27(9), 1129–1137.
He, J., Huang, J. F., Li, C., Chen, J., Lu, X., Chen, J. C., ... & Gu, D. F. (2021). Sodium sensitivity, sodium resistance, and incidence of hypertension: a longitudinal follow-up study of dietary sodium intervention. Hypertension, 78(1), 155-164.
Mente, A., O'Donnell, M., Rangarajan, S., et al. (2016). Associations of urinary sodium excretion with cardiovascular events in individuals with and without hypertension: a pooled analysis of data from four studies.The Lancet, 388(10043), 465–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30467-6
Puckett, L. (2023). Renal and electrolyte complications in eating disorders: a comprehensive review. Journal of eating disorders, 11(1), 26.