Is 138 mg of sodium a lot?

Is 138 mg of sodium a lot? Here we will put 138 mg of sodium in context so you get a better understanding of what 138 mg of sodium means.

138 mg of Sodium vs Salt
Salt contains 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It takes 0.345 grams of salt to get 138 miligrams (mg) of sodium. 138 miligrams of sodium in salt is about 0.0604 teaspoons.

138 mg of Sodium vs Recommendations
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that you should limit your sodium consumption to less than 2,300 mg per day if you are in good health and over the age of 14 years old.

If you are healthy and consume 138 mg of sodium per day, then your sodium consumption is within the recommended limit.

Furthermore, older people and people with blood pressure problems should limit the sodium to less than 1,500 mg per day.

138 mg of sodium per day is within the recommended limit for older people and people with high blood pressure.

138 mg of Sodium vs % DV
138 mg of sodium per day equals 5.75% DV (% daily value) based on a diet of less than 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers that 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is low and 20% DV or more of sodium per serving is high.

Therefore, 138 mg or 5.75% DV fits the in-between category.

138 mg of Sodium Serving Size
Be aware that the 138 mg of sodium you see on a nutrition facts label is per serving. There may be more than one serving in the box, can, container, or whatever you are looking at.

If you plan to consume more than 1 serving, then you will eat more than 138 mg. You have to multiply 138 mg by the number of servings you are going to eat to get the total sodium count.

Is 138 mg of Sodium needed?
Your body does need some sodium to function, but does it need 138 mg? According to the American Heart Association, the body needs less than 500 mg of sodium per day.

Sodium Lookup
Go here to see if another sodium amount is a lot.

Formulas and calculations used on this page:

(mg/2400)*100 = % DV
(138/2400)*100 = 5.75% DV

mg sodium x 2.5 = mg salt
138 x 2.5 = 345 mg salt

mg salt / 1000 = grams salt
345 / 1000 = 0.345 grams salt

grams x 0.175 = teaspoons
0.345 x 0.175 = 0.0604 Tsp

Important:
The "Is 138 mg of sodium a lot?" page is for information only. Research Maniacs is not responsible for any errors or omissions.

We strongly recommend that you see a doctor for all medical needs and questions regarding health and diet.

Is 139 mg of sodium a lot?
Go here for the next amount of sodium we interpreted.