Type 2 Diabetes - How Much Salt Should a Diabetic Eat Each Day?

As a Type 2 diabetic, you're used to watching what you eat. You count or monitor the amount of carbohydrates you eat, while also looking at the fat and protein content and portion sizes. But, do you also pay attention to how much sodium (salt) you take in?Eating too much salt can raise your risk of cardiovascular disease. Since having Type 2 diabetes also increases your risk, it's smart to pay attention to your sodium intake. It's recommended adults in the US get at least 1,500 mg of sodium a day, but not more than 2,300 mg. The average adult intake in the US is 3,436 mg.However, you may have seen some recent news in the Forbes Magazine about studies that question these recommendations. Some scientists feel since there has never been a large, randomized trial on sodium levels, the low sodium recommendations may be inaccurate. It's not only Americans who eat too much sodium - 99.2% of the world's population takes in more than the recommended amount of sodium.So, with different opinions on the sodium recommendations, how much salt is okay for you to have? Studies have shown some people are more sensitive to sodium levels than others. This means some people may be able to eat high amounts of salt with no health issues developing, while other people find eating high levels of salt contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. However, it can be hard to tell if you're sensitive to sodium or not. Since having Type 2 diabetes puts you at a higher risk of heart disease, it's wise to limit your intake of salt and avoid possibly increasing your risk of heart disease.


How do you avoid eating too much salt? In Americans, the majority of their salt intake comes from processed food and food eaten at restaurants. Sprinkling a little salt on your food at the table or adding it during cooking usually doesn't add too much. Avoiding or cutting back on processed food is a good way to lower your salt intake, as well as the amount of added sugar you eat.If you often eat out at restaurants, try replacing one or two meals out each week with home cooked meals. And when you do eat out, check the nutrition information for the amount of salt and choose lower-salt options. If the nutrition information isn't available, ask the restaurant how much salt is in the food you want to order, and see if they can reduce it.