Sodium
What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
What it is
- Sodium takes part in nerve transmission, muscle contraction, and the cotransport of glucose and amino acids with sodium in the small intestine. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Sodium participates in many body processes such as fluid and pH balancing, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too little
- In newborns, too little sodium may lead to hyponatremia (low blood sodium) and growth delay. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Getting too much
- Eating a lot of sodium over a long time raises blood pressure and increases the risk of cardiovascular and kidney disease. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Eating too much sodium may raise the risk of obesity and may affect the development of urinary stones and osteoporosis. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Daily reference values by country
Korea · US · EU — tap to open
These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL
Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
| Group | AI | CDRR (chronic disease risk reduction) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5 months | 110 mg | |
| 6–11 months | 370 mg | |
| 1–2 years | 630 mg | 1000 mg |
| 3–5 years | 1000 mg | 1500 mg |
| Male · 6–8 years | 1100 mg | 1700 mg |
| Male · 9–11 years | 1300 mg | 2000 mg |
| Male · 12–14 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Male · 15–18 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Male · 19–29 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Male · 30–49 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Male · 50–64 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Male · 65–74 years | 1300 mg | 1900 mg |
| Male · 75+ years | 1200 mg | 1800 mg |
| Female · 6–8 years | 1100 mg | 1700 mg |
| Female · 9–11 years | 1300 mg | 2000 mg |
| Female · 12–14 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Female · 15–18 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Female · 19–29 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Female · 30–49 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Female · 50–64 years | 1500 mg | 2300 mg |
| Female · 65–74 years | 1300 mg | 1900 mg |
| Female · 75+ years | 1200 mg | 1800 mg |
| Pregnancy | +0 mg | 2300 mg |
| Lactation | +0 mg | 2300 mg |
US — NASEM (National Academies)
| Group | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 110 mg | — |
| 7–12 months | 370 mg | — |
| 1–3 years | 800 mg | — |
| 4–8 years | 1000 mg | — |
| Male · 9–13 years | 1200 mg | — |
| Male · 14–18 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Male · 19–30 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Male · 31–50 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Male · 51–70 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Male · 71+ years | 1500 mg | — |
| Female · 9–13 years | 1200 mg | — |
| Female · 14–18 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Female · 19–30 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Female · 31–50 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Female · 51–70 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Female · 71+ years | 1500 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 14–18 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 19–30 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Pregnancy · 31–50 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Lactation · 14–18 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Lactation · 19–30 years | 1500 mg | — |
| Lactation · 31–50 years | 1500 mg | — |
EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
| Group | AI | Safe and adequate intake | UL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7–11 months | 200 mg | ||
| 1–3 years | 1100 mg | ||
| 4–6 years | 1300 mg | ||
| 7–10 years | 1700 mg | ||
| 11–17 years | 2000 mg | ||
| 18+ years | 2000 mg | — | |
| Pregnancy · 18–60 years | 2000 mg | ||
| Lactation · 18–60 years | 2000 mg | ||
| Pregnancy · 18+ years | — | ||
| Lactation · 18+ years | — |
Sources
- EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 3: Minerals (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-17.