How much sodium does the human body need in a day?

Bihar CHO - 2021

Applied Nutrition & Dietetics

Easy

Appeared in: Bihar CHO - 2021

Explanation

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2000 mg for adults.
This recommendation is a preventive measure to reduce the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) and cardiovascular diseases.
This value is equivalent to approximately 5 grams of table salt (sodium chloride) per day.
While the body's minimum physiological need is lower (around 500 mg), the 2000 mg value serves as a widely accepted upper limit for a healthy diet.

Option B: This value represents the upper limit for daily sodium intake recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, not the global standard set by the WHO.
Option C: This amount is significantly below the minimum physiological requirement for sodium, which is estimated to be around 500 mg per day.
Option D: This number is associated with the normal range of serum (blood) sodium concentration, which is 135-145 mEq/L. It is a measure of concentration in the blood, not dietary intake over a day.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain The concept tested is the recommended daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses play a crucial role in educating patients about dietary sodium to manage and prevent hypertension.
Patient teaching should include practical tips like reading food labels, avoiding processed foods (which account for over 80% of sodium intake), and using herbs and spices for flavoring instead of salt.
A key nursing intervention for a patient with newly diagnosed hypertension is to perform a diet recall to assess their current sodium intake and provide tailored advice for reduction.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question: it asks for the daily need for sodium.
Recognize that 'need' can be interpreted as either the minimum physiological requirement or the recommended daily allowance for health.
Evaluate the options. Notice that 135 is a number commonly associated with lab values (serum sodium), not dietary intake, so it can be eliminated.
Compare the remaining options (100 mg, 2000 mg, 2300 mg) against known dietary guidelines. 100 mg is too low to be a physiological need or a recommendation.
Differentiate between 2000 mg and 2300 mg. Recall that these are both common recommendations, but 2000 mg is the global standard from the WHO, making it the most likely correct answer in a general knowledge context.
Select the option that aligns with the major global health organization's guideline.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: The concept tested is the recommended daily dietary intake of sodium for an adult.
Stem keywords: sodium, human body, need, day
Lead-in keywords: How much

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