How important is sodium?

I have a bad habit of adding alot of salt to my food, especially at dinner.. but I looked up "salt" and see that even 1 cup has no calories. If so, why does it matter how much salt I have?

Can I keep using salt? Cut down on it, or give it up altogether? It's not like I NEED, it's just there, y'know?

I'm not a doctor but I know that some salt is okay but you really only need about 1200 mgs each day and you get most of that without even adding any salt to anything! If you use less salt and instead choose fresh fruits & vegetables, you will soon taste more of the actual foods instead of the salt.  Some people don't have any health problems with salt but it's wise not to use too much; it can worsen hypertension, for one thing.  

1 cup has no calories but it's also over 4700% of your daily recommended value of sodium. Of course if we JUST looked at calories then salt would be OK, but from a health perspective it's very bad for you (at least in excess). Some minor effects include bloating and the retention of water weight which could cause your weight to fluctuate drastically from day to day. This makes it harder for you to track your progress. In addition, too much sodium leads to very high blood pressure and has been linked in some way to other adverse health effects. If I were you I would not only cut out adding pure salt, but I would also try to limit your "sodium" intake (ala the sodium in soups, lunch meat, etc). 

Frozen foods too are packed with sodium, even the "healthier" ones like Lean Cuisine or Amy's...we are all better off preparing our own foods. As Jabron said, lunch meats are notoriously bad as far as sodium is concerned.

I used to eat a lot of salt, but I have noticed that my entire metabolism functions better when I cut down on salt. I don't deprive myself of salt, but try to stay around 2.000 mg per day (which by some is considered high, and others say it is within the recommended limit). I have noticed that when I eat an excess of salt, my body retains more fluids and my heart rate goes up. I also get a higher bloodpressure when consuming more sodium, so to me that is "living proof" that salt truly is harmful in excess. To replace salt, I use more spices to make the food taste better, and that is something I am getting used to and even start to like! Good luck!

 Anette

sodium can cause lots of bloat... and migraines.

i have to eat a diet low in sodium (2,000-3,000 a day) and its much harder than you think. Sodium can trigger bad headaches and migraines

but if you dont have problems with bloat or headache keep using the shaker

You might want to check with your doctor.  3,000 mg of sodium is not really considered a "low" sodium diet.  The maximum recommended intake is generally less than 2,000 mg.