What is the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for sodium?

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for Sodium

For the general adult population, limit sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day, with further reduction to 1,500 mg per day recommended for high-risk groups including individuals with hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, African Americans, and adults over 51 years of age. 1

General Population Recommendations

The current evidence-based guidelines establish clear sodium intake targets:

• Adults should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day 2, 1
• The American Heart Association advocates for an even more aggressive target of less than 1,500 mg per day for the entire U.S. population to maximize cardiovascular protection 2
• The World Health Organization provides an alternative general population target of less than 2,000 mg per day (equivalent to 5 g of salt) 1

High-Risk Population Guidelines

Approximately 70% of U.S. adults fall into categories requiring stricter sodium restriction 3, 4. These individuals should aim for sodium intake below 1,500 mg per day:

• All persons with hypertension 2, 1
• All individuals with diabetes mellitus 2, 1
• All patients with chronic kidney disease 1
• All African Americans (regardless of age) 2, 1
• All adults aged 51 years and older 2, 1

Further restriction below 1,500 mg per day can result in even greater blood pressure reduction, though even reducing sodium by 1,000 mg per day from current intake provides meaningful cardiovascular benefit 2

Pediatric Sodium Targets

Age-appropriate sodium recommendations for children are based on adequate intake levels rather than upper limits:

• Children aged 1-3 years: 1,000 mg per day 2, 1
• Children aged 4-8 years: 1,200 mg per day 2, 1
• Children with chronic kidney disease and hypertension should limit intake to 1-2 mmol/kg/day 1

Evidence Supporting These Recommendations

The rationale for sodium restriction is grounded in robust evidence linking excess sodium intake to adverse cardiovascular outcomes:

• Reducing sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day could potentially prevent 11 million cases of hypertension and save billions in healthcare expenditures 3
• The blood pressure-lowering effect is independent of weight changes and sufficient to both prevent progression from prehypertension to hypertension and promote non-pharmacological blood pressure control 2
• Excess sodium intake has been linked to kidney stones, asthma, osteoporosis, and gastric cancer in addition to cardiovascular disease 2
• Observational data suggest that lower sodium intake is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events in people both with and without hypertension 2

Current Intake vs. Recommendations

The gap between recommendations and actual consumption is substantial:

• Average sodium intake among U.S. adults is 3,266-3,436 mg per day, far exceeding recommendations 3, 4
• Only 9.6% of all adults meet their applicable recommended sodium limit 5
• Among those in the ≤1,500 mg/day group, only 5.5% achieve this target 5
• 89% of adults and over 90% of children exceed sodium intake recommendations 6

Important Clinical Caveats

The strength of evidence for the 2,400 mg per day threshold is graded as "moderate" rather than "strong" because it is based on the DASH-Sodium trial's achieved sodium level rather than multiple independent trials 2. The Work Group acknowledges slight variations between guidelines (2,300 mg vs. 2,400 mg per day), though the clinical impact of this 100 mg difference is minimal 2.

For individuals with both diabetes and hypertension, the sodium goal should be individualized, recognizing practical challenges including palatability concerns, cost of low-sodium products, and achieving overall nutritional adequacy 1. However, the default target remains below 2,300 mg per day, with 1,500 mg per day preferred 2, 1.

Practical Implementation Strategies

Achieving recommended sodium limits requires systematic approaches:

• Replace processed and canned foods with fresh foods 1
• Read nutrition labels carefully to identify sodium content 1
• Use herbs, spices, and salt-free seasonings instead of salt 1
• Avoid salt substitutes containing potassium chloride if hyperkalemia is present 1
• Rinse canned vegetables with salt to reduce sodium content 2

The main source of dietary sodium (>75%) comes from sodium added during commercial food processing and preparation, not from salt added at the table, making food industry-wide sodium reduction essential for population-level change 3, 6.