Aliquot #124: How much sodium do you actually need?
Aliquot #124: How much sodium do you actually need?
Sodium keeps our hearts beating, our muscles moving, and our nerves firing—but it's also one of the most debated nutrients in health. While sodium is essential for survival, too much or too little can tip the scales toward problems like high blood pressure or fatigue.
Get these episodes in a convenient podcast format.
Aliquot episodes make great companion listening for a long drive. You can find these special members-only episodes alongside live recorded Q&As on The Aliquot, our official premium FoundMyFitness podcast.
Sodium keeps our hearts beating, our muscles moving, and our nerves firing—but it's also one of the most debated nutrients in health. While sodium is essential for survival, too much or too little can tip the scales toward problems like high blood pressure or fatigue.
The key to understanding sodium lies in the bigger picture: genetics, lifestyle, and its delicate balance with potassium. These factors shape how sodium affects each person—whether they're an athlete sweating it out or someone managing blood pressure with age.
In this Aliquot, I explore the ins and outs of sodium.
-
Is sodium unfairly maligned?
-
What regulates your sensitivity to salt?
-
Does excess salt cause high blood pressure?
-
Are processed foods driving your sodium intake?
-
What science says about salt and blood pressure
-
How common is salt sensitivity — and what causes it?
-
Why potassium counteracts salt's effects
-
Rhonda's take on electrolyte supplements
-
What's the optimal salt intake — and is the RDA too low?
-
Why aging makes you more sensitive to salt
-
Top potassium-rich foods
-
Are some prone to low sodium?
-
Why fasting may increase your sodium needs
Attend Monthly Q&As with Rhonda
Support our work
The FoundMyFitness Q&A happens monthly for premium members. Attend live or listen in our exclusive member-only podcast The Aliquot.
Recent Aliquot Episodes
Aliquot #138: Why Sedation Isn't Sleep and What Actually Works
Many of the substances people use to relax, sleep, or stay alert quietly reshape the biology of sleep...
Aliquot #137: How to Optimize Iron without Causing Overload
Iron plays a central role in health across the lifespan. It forms the core of hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells...
Aliquot #136: How Micronutrient Deficiencies Accelerate Aging
Micronutrient deficiencies, even mild ones, can quietly erode health over decades, raising the risk of chronic disease. One framework...
Aliquot #135: Creatine Myths and Misconceptions
Creatine supplementation has long been shrouded in myths and misconceptions, ranging from dehydration and kidney damage to hair loss...
Aliquot #134: Why Homocysteine Accelerates Brain Aging
Elevated homocysteine levels often slip under the radar during routine checkups, yet they quietly raise our risk...