Limiting Sodium (Salt) in Your Diet

A balance of sodium and water is important for your body. Sodium is found in most food, however, the main source of sodium in our diet is found in the sodium that manufacturers add to food to preserve it and change the flavor and the salt we add to our food. One teaspoon of table salt contains about 2300 mg of sodium.

Too much sodium can upset the sodium/water balance and can lead to fluid retention. For people with heart failure, sodium acts like a sponge to hold onto extra water. The extra water leads to swelling, shortness of breath, and extra work for the heart.

The sodium recommendation for people with heart failure is to limit the sodium intake to 2000 mg per day or about 700 mg per meal. It is extremely important not to have more than 700 mg per meal as it can lead to fluid retention, even if you haven't had more than 2000 mg for the day. It's the amount per meal that really counts!

Read the food labels for the amount of sodium in food. Be sure to pay attention to the serving size as the sodium listed is amount in each serving.

Eating a low sodium diet can be a real challenge in the beginning since most Americans eat 6000 mg of sodium or more each day. The taste of sodium is an acquired taste and can be unlearned! After a couple of months your taste buds will become more sensitive to sodium and foods that are high in sodium will taste too salty!

There are many cookbooks that are devoted to low sodium recipes. Check out the cookbooks at the American Heart Association web site or cookbooks in your local bookstore. You can also modify or change your own favorite recipes to make them lower in sodium.

Watching the amount of sodium in your diet can dramatically reduce the amount of fluid you retain and is a way for you have some control over your symptoms and how heart failure affects your life!