How Much Sodium Per Day for Women?
The Direct Answer
1,500mg of sodium a day, and stay under 2,300mg.
- Target (Adequate Intake): 1,500mg sodium = about 3.8g salt = about 2/3 teaspoon
- Stay under: 2,300mg sodium = about 5.8g salt = 1 level teaspoon
- Same at every adult age: 19, 40, 63, 75 or 85 — the values do not drop with age
- Same in pregnancy and breastfeeding: 1,500mg target, under 2,300mg
- With high blood pressure: the American Heart Association recommends 1,500mg as the ideal limit
- Typical US woman actually eats: about 2,900-3,000mg a day
These are the 2019 Dietary Reference Intakes from the US National Academies, which replaced the 2004 values. The 2019 update did two things that change older charts you may find online: it set one Adequate Intake of 1,500mg for everyone aged 14 and over (the old 1,300mg for ages 51-70 and 1,200mg for 71+ were retired), and it replaced the Tolerable Upper Intake Level with a Chronic Disease Risk Reduction intake (CDRR) of 2,300mg. Above 2,300mg, cutting back is expected to lower blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. The guidelines are not sex-specific; women and men get the same numbers. For the male side, see sodium intake for men.
Daily Sodium Chart for Women by Age
| Age | Target (AI) | Stay under (CDRR) | Salt at target | Teaspoons at target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Girls 9-13 | 1,200mg | 1,800mg | 3.0g | ~1/2 tsp |
| Teens 14-18 | 1,500mg | 2,300mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
| Women 19-30 | 1,500mg | 2,300mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
| Women 31-50 | 1,500mg | 2,300mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
| Women 51-70 | 1,500mg | 2,300mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
| Women 71+ | 1,500mg | 2,300mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
| Pregnant or breastfeeding | 1,500mg | 2,300mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
There is no Tolerable Upper Intake Level for sodium any more: the National Academies found too little evidence of direct toxicity to set one, so 2,300mg is a chronic-disease threshold, not a poison line. The physiological minimum is roughly 500mg a day, but that is the floor the body can survive on, not a target. The full age breakdown for both sexes is on the sodium by age page.
How Other Guidelines Compare
| Source | Sodium per day | Salt per day |
|---|---|---|
| US Dietary Guidelines (14+) | Under 2,300mg | Under 5.8g |
| American Heart Association | Ideal 1,500mg or less | 3.8g or less |
| World Health Organization | Under 2,000mg | Under 5g |
| UK NHS | About 2,400mg maximum | 6g maximum |
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Pregnancy does not raise or lower the sodium target: the Adequate Intake stays at 1,500mg and the CDRR at 2,300mg, the same as for non-pregnant women. Blood volume expands substantially during pregnancy, and sodium is part of that expansion, so deliberate severe restriction is not advised unless an obstetrician sets a specific limit. Swelling of the feet and ankles in late pregnancy is common and is not by itself a reason to cut salt hard. Breastfeeding also leaves the values unchanged at 1,500mg and under 2,300mg.
Menopause and Blood Pressure
Women are on average more salt-sensitive than men, meaning their blood pressure rises more for the same sodium load, and this sensitivity increases after menopause as estrogen falls. Blood pressure in women tends to climb through the 50s and 60s, and by later life high blood pressure is at least as common in women as in men. That makes the 1,500mg end of the range more relevant after menopause, even though the official number does not change. If you have high blood pressure, the American Heart Association's 1,500mg ideal is the practical target. More on who responds to salt and by how much: salt and blood pressure.
Women Over 60, 70 and 80
The number is 1,500mg a day with a ceiling of 2,300mg at 60, 70 and 80. Older charts showing 1,300mg after 50 or 1,200mg after 70 are outdated. Two opposite risks apply in this age group:
Too much
Salt sensitivity and blood pressure both rise with age, and kidney function declines, so excess sodium has more effect at 70 than at 30.
Too little
Low blood sodium (hyponatremia) becomes more common in older women, particularly with thiazide diuretics, SSRI antidepressants, a very low salt intake and drinking large amounts of water.
Worked Example: A 63-Year-Old Woman
Target 1,500mg, stay under 2,300mg. Below is a typical day before and after a few swaps. Values are typical label figures and vary by brand.
| Meal | Typical day | mg | Adjusted day | mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 slices toast with butter, yogurt | 400 | Oatmeal with milk and fruit | 120 |
| Lunch | Deli turkey sandwich with cheese, pickle | 1,400 | Sandwich with home-roasted chicken, 1 slice cheese | 650 |
| Snack | Crackers and cheese | 350 | Apple and unsalted nuts | 5 |
| Dinner | Restaurant pasta | 1,400 | Salmon, potatoes, vegetables, 1/4 tsp salt in cooking | 730 |
| Total | 3,550 | 1,505 |
The adjusted day still includes a quarter teaspoon of salt added in cooking. Almost all of the reduction came from bread, deli meat, crackers and a restaurant meal, which is where most sodium in a Western diet comes from.
Active Women and Athletes
Sweat contains sodium, typically several hundred to over 1,000mg per litre, and losses vary widely between people. Women who train for more than an hour, especially in heat, can need well above 2,300mg on those days, and endurance events carry a real risk of hyponatremia when large volumes of plain water are drunk without sodium. The 2,300mg guideline is aimed at the general population, not at heavy sweaters on training days. Women with POTS are a separate case and are often advised to take far more under medical supervision: see salt and POTS.
Converting Sodium to Teaspoons and Grams of Salt
Table salt is about 39% sodium. 1g of salt contains about 393mg of sodium, and sodium × 2.54 gives salt. One level teaspoon of table salt weighs about 6g and contains about 2,325mg of sodium.
| Sodium | Salt | Teaspoons of table salt |
|---|---|---|
| 500mg | 1.3g | ~1/5 tsp |
| 1,500mg | 3.8g | ~2/3 tsp |
| 2,000mg | 5.1g | ~6/7 tsp |
| 2,300mg | 5.8g | ~1 tsp |
| 3,000mg | 7.6g | ~1 1/4 tsp |
Labels in the US list sodium; many UK and EU labels list salt. Mixing them up overstates or understates intake by about 2.5 times. The salt to sodium calculator does the conversion for any amount.
Medical Disclaimer
These are population guidelines from the US National Academies, the US Dietary Guidelines, the American Heart Association, the WHO and the NHS. They are not individual medical advice. If you have heart failure, kidney or liver disease, POTS, or take diuretics, SSRIs or lithium, your doctor's sodium target overrides the figures on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much sodium should a woman have per day?
An adult woman needs about 1,500mg of sodium a day and should keep intake under 2,300mg. That is roughly 3.8g of salt (2/3 teaspoon) as a target and 5.8g of salt (1 level teaspoon) as the ceiling, counting all food, not just the salt shaker.
How much sodium per day for women over 60?
The same as younger women: 1,500mg a day as the adequate intake and under 2,300mg to reduce chronic disease risk. A 63-year-old woman with high blood pressure should aim for 1,500mg, which is the American Heart Association's ideal limit for most adults.
What is the daily sodium limit for women over 70 and over 80?
Since 2019 the US National Academies use one set of values for all adults: 1,500mg a day adequate intake and 2,300mg as the level to stay under. The older targets of 1,300mg for ages 51-70 and 1,200mg for 71 and over were retired. Women over 80 should not cut far below 1,500mg without medical advice, because low blood sodium is common at that age.
How much sodium should a 19-year-old female eat daily?
A 19-year-old woman needs about 1,500mg of sodium a day and should stay under 2,300mg. Teenage girls aged 14-18 have the same values. Girls aged 9-13 need 1,200mg and should stay under 1,800mg.
How much salt should a 55-year-old woman have in a day?
About 3.8g of salt (2/3 teaspoon) is enough, and the upper guideline is 5.8g (1 level teaspoon) in the US or 6g in the UK. The WHO recommends under 5g of salt a day. After menopause blood pressure tends to become more sensitive to salt, so staying near the lower end is worthwhile.
What is the RDA for sodium for women?
Sodium has no formal RDA. The value people mean by sodium RDA is the Adequate Intake, which is 1,500mg a day for women aged 14 and over, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The separate Chronic Disease Risk Reduction intake is 2,300mg a day.
Do women need less sodium than men?
No. The official values are identical for women and men: 1,500mg a day adequate intake and under 2,300mg. Women eat less sodium on average, about 2,900-3,000mg a day in the US versus over 4,000mg for men, but most women still exceed the 2,300mg guideline.
The Bottom Line
Women need about 1,500mg of sodium a day and should stay under 2,300mg, from age 14 through pregnancy, menopause and into their 80s. The average American woman eats around 3,000mg, so most have room to cut, mainly from bread, processed meat, snacks and restaurant food. The exceptions run in both directions: high blood pressure argues for the 1,500mg end, while heavy training, POTS, and older age combined with diuretics or SSRIs can make too little sodium the bigger risk.