Last updated: 2026-06-22

Sodium Intake Limit

The sodium intake limit calculator compares an estimated daily sodium intake against a recommended ceiling and translates that figure into an equivalent mass of table salt. It is useful for anyone reading nutrition labels or tracking dietary sodium, where intake is often reported in milligrams while everyday guidance is phrased in grams of salt. The calculator reports the salt equivalent, how far the intake sits above or below the chosen ceiling, and the intake as a percentage of that ceiling.

Sodium and salt are not the same quantity

Table salt is sodium chloride. By mass it is about 40% sodium and 60% chloride, so a gram of salt contains roughly 0.4 g of sodium. Converting in the other direction, a given mass of sodium corresponds to about 2.5 times that mass of salt:

The factor 2.5 is the reciprocal of 0.4. Dividing by 1000 converts milligrams of sodium to grams so that the result is reported in grams of salt. Because labels and guidelines mix the two units freely, a product marketed as low in salt can still contribute a meaningful amount of sodium, and vice versa.

Recommended ceilings

The two ceilings offered here come from major health bodies:

The American Heart Association also names a general upper limit of 2300 mg, moving toward the 1500 mg ideal where possible. Average intake in many countries sits well above 3000 mg, which is why the United States average of roughly 3400 mg is used as the default input.

Worked example

Consider a daily sodium intake of 3400 mg compared against the WHO ceiling of 2000 mg. The salt equivalent is:

The amount over the ceiling is $3400 - 2000 = 1400 \text{ mg}$, and the intake as a share of the ceiling is:

$\frac{3400}{2000} \times 100 = 170\%$

So this intake is 1400 mg above the WHO ceiling, equivalent to 8.5 g of salt, and 70% higher than the recommended maximum. Lowering it to 2000 mg would bring it to exactly 100% of the ceiling and about 5 g of salt.

Interpreting the result

A percentage at or below 100% indicates intake within the chosen ceiling; above 100% indicates the ceiling is exceeded. The salt equivalent is often the easier figure to act on at the table, since salt is what is added during cooking and seasoning. Most dietary sodium, however, comes from processed and restaurant foods rather than the salt shaker, so reductions usually depend more on food choices than on table salt alone.

Limitations

The calculator combines sodium from all sources into a single daily total and does not distinguish naturally occurring sodium from added salt. It does not adjust for body size, physical activity, climate, or sweat losses, all of which affect individual sodium needs. Recommended ceilings are population-level guidelines; people with high blood pressure, heart failure, or kidney disease may be given more specific targets and should follow clinical advice.

For a related look at another commonly limited nutrient, see the Added Sugar Limit Calculator.