The Salt Paradox: How Low-Sodium Rules May Be Backfiring
What if the very dietary rule meant to protect your heart and kidneys is actually stressing them?
In a recent conversation with Dr. Angela Stanton, we unpacked one of the biggest myths in modern nutrition — the idea that salt is something to fear. This post breaks down what she shared about how much salt our bodies truly need, why public health guidelines may have gotten it wrong, and what the latest science says about sodium’s role in real health.
Public Health vs. Human Physiology
For years, we’ve been told to keep salt under lock and key — no more than a teaspoon a day, about 2,300 milligrams of sodium. But according to Dr. Angela Stanton, that advice doesn’t just miss the mark; it flips human physiology on its head.
When you cut salt too low, your body doesn’t relax, it goes into overdrive. Stress hormones like renin and aldosterone spike, blood vessels constrict, and your cardiovascular system ends up working harder, not smarter. The irony is that the “heart-healthy” low-sodium rule may be doing the exact opposite of what it promises.1
The Reality Check
Healthy adults, athletes, and migraineurs often need more sodium than the one-size-fits-all “RDA” suggests. In fact, most sports nutrition research supports what Dr. Angela Stanton has been saying all along: when you sweat, move, or push your body’s limits, your sodium needs rise and sometimes dramatically.
Salt helps the body hold onto water, yes, but that’s only part of the story. Sodium is the main electrolyte outside our cells — the key to keeping fluid balanced, blood flowing, and nerve signals firing. Potassium handles the inside of the cell; sodium manages the world outside it. Together, they keep every system in rhythm. When that balance tilts, performance, energy, and even cognition start to slide.2
Kidney Truths
Our kidneys are designed to handle salt — it’s literally part of their job description. In a healthy body, more than 90% of the sodium you take in is filtered and excreted through urine, which is why doctors measure 24-hour urinary sodium to gauge intake. Meanwhile, the colon plays the opposite role, efficiently reabsorbing sodium to keep your electrolyte balance in check.
Medicine itself recognizes salt’s therapeutic power. In hospitals, sodium tablets paired with water are routinely used to treat certain types of hyponatremia (dangerously low sodium). The principle is simple: when salt and water are in balance, the body thrives.
When that balance slips though, when sodium runs low, cells begin to swell, a classic sign of hyponatremia that can even impact brain function. As Dr. Stanton explains, that “puffy fingers on a walk” feeling? It’s not water retention, it’s a signal that your intracellular sodium is running low, and your body is trying to compensate.
A Return to Balance
The fear of salt didn’t come from biology, it came from blanket policies that ignored context. The truth is, sodium needs aren’t one-size-fits-all. Your activity level, climate, health status, and even things like migraines all change how much salt your body actually requires. When used correctly, salt with water isn’t the enemy. Salt is a measurement tool that helps maintain circulation, cellular balance, and, for many people, better energy and performance.
If you enjoyed this myth-busting discussion, you’ll love my book. Get Healthy or Get Dead is a deep dive into the healthcare and wellness myths holding us back, with simple, practical solutions to help you take control of your health and there is also a companion workbook to help keep you motivated.
I can’t do the work for you, but I can show you how to start and how to keep moving toward a stronger, more resilient version of yourself.
Follow Dr. Angela Stanton on her website Clueless Doctors and Scientists and watch our complete discussion on my YouTube channel here.
Stanton, Angela A. “Salt and BP: Are Studies Using Statistics Right?” Clueless Doctors (blog), December 10, 2015. https://cluelessdoctors.com/2015/12/10/salt-and-bp-are-studies-using-statistics-right/
Veniamakis, Eleni, Georgia Papageorgiou, Styliani Tzavella, and Anastasia Chrousos. “Effects of Sodium Intake on Health and Performance in Athletes.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 6 (2022): 3651.