Most People Need 3,000mg of Sodium Daily for Proper Hydration, But Get Less Than Half. See the Surprising Symptoms

Chronic thirst that won’t quit—no matter how many glasses you down—is one of those frustrating riddles that sends people back to the fridge again and again.

Dr. Eric Berg, a chiropractor and health educator with millions of followers, recently tackled this puzzle in a YouTube video that’s striking a chord with anyone who’s ever felt parched despite chugging water all day.

His answer? You might not need more water—you might need more salt.

It’s a counterintuitive idea in a culture that’s been taught to fear sodium, but Berg argues that low blood volume—not simple dehydration—is often the real culprit behind persistent thirst, dizziness, fatigue, and a host of other nagging symptoms.

Low Blood Volume vs. Dehydration: What’s the Difference?

Berg draws a clear line between two states: lacking fluid and having genuinely low blood volume.

“There’s two situations that people are in,” he explains. “Either they’re lacking fluid and they’re not hydrated, or they have a low amount of blood volume. This is the more common situation right here.”

When blood volume dips too low, your circulatory system struggles to deliver oxygen and nutrients efficiently. That’s when the warning signs start piling up—and drinking plain water can actually make things worse.

“Drinking more water actually will make it worse,” Berg says, because water without electrolytes dilutes the sodium already in your blood.

Why Salt Matters More Than You Think

Sodium isn’t just table seasoning—it’s the gatekeeper of hydration.

Berg points out that blood itself is naturally salty, and hospitals don’t give dehydrated patients plain water intravenously. They administer saline solution—salt water—because sodium is essential for retaining fluid in the bloodstream and tissues.

In order to retain blood or fluid in your body, you need salt. And I’m going to tell you how much salt you need, and this is going to be quite surprising to most people because most people are not even getting close to the amount of salt they really need to retain the fluid.

Without adequate sodium, water passes through your system without being absorbed where it’s needed most.

The Telltale Signs of Low Sodium

Berg rattles off a surprisingly long list of symptoms that many people wouldn’t immediately connect to sodium deficiency:

• Dizziness upon standing: That “whoa” moment when you get up quickly from gardening or sitting? Classic low blood volume.
• Persistent thirst, especially at night: Your body triggers thirst before bed to help you last through the night—but plain water won’t solve the problem.
• Fatigue, weak muscles, or cramping: While magnesium often gets credit for cramps, sodium can be just as important.
• Poor sleep: Low sodium drives up cortisol, sabotaging restful sleep.
• Headaches and feeling cold: Both can stem from inadequate fluid retention.
• Constipation: Your colon needs fluid too, and sodium helps keep things moving.
• Darker urine or infrequent urination: Signs you’re not drinking enough—or not retaining what you drink.
• Dry mouth and dry eyes: Not just a vitamin A issue; inadequate sodium affects mucous membranes.

Berg recalls his own struggle: “In the past, people were telling me or coaching me, ‘Oh, you got to drink more water.’ And so, I’d be guzzling all this water, and it was just hard to drink all this water cuz I wasn’t really thirsty. Of course, little did I know, it was diluting my sodium.”

How Much Sodium Do You Actually Need?

Here’s where Berg’s advice raises eyebrows: he recommends 3,000 to 4,000 mg of sodium daily for most people—roughly 1.5 teaspoons of salt.

That’s significantly higher than current U.S. dietary guidelines, which recommend limiting sodium to 2,300 mg per day for the general population. The research on optimal sodium intake is more nuanced than many realize, however. A large 2016 study published in The Lancet tracking over 130,000 people across 49 countries found that both very low sodium intake (under 3,000 mg/day) and very high intake (above 6,000 mg/day) were associated with increased cardiovascular risk, with the lowest risk observed in the moderate range of 3,000–5,000 mg/day. This suggests Berg’s recommendation may align with emerging evidence for many healthy adults, though individual needs vary based on health status, activity level, and other factors.

I’ll guarantee most people don’t consume that much. They’re probably getting an eighth of a teaspoon, maybe a half a teaspoon at most, and they’re drinking all this water, diluting the sodium.

Athletes and heavy sweaters need even more. Berg notes that football players in full gear during practice can lose up to 6,000 mg of sodium through sweat alone.

For reference, a typical bag of Doritos contains nowhere near this amount—Berg used to crave salty chips before bed without realizing his body was desperately seeking sodium.

Keto, Exercise, and Sodium Needs

Berg emphasizes that sodium requirements skyrocket under certain conditions.

Ketogenic diets naturally flush out extra water and electrolytes as carbohydrate stores (glycogen) deplete. Each gram of glycogen holds roughly three grams of water, so cutting carbs means losing significant fluid—and the sodium dissolved in it.

“If you’re on a ketogenic diet, you start cutting down your carbohydrates, this applies even more because you’re going to be retaining even less sodium,” Berg explains.

Combine keto with intense exercise or hot weather, and the sodium deficit compounds rapidly. That’s when people experience the infamous “keto flu”—headaches, fatigue, brain fog—which often resolves completely with adequate salt intake.

The Cortisol-Sleep Connection

One particularly interesting mechanism Berg highlights is the relationship between sodium and cortisol.

When sodium levels drop, your adrenal glands compensate by pumping out more cortisol to help retain what little sodium remains. Elevated cortisol at night? That’s a recipe for tossing and turning.

If you’re low in sodium, your cortisol goes up. When you sleep, you’re just not going to sleep very well. This is why so many people will crave salty, crunchy chips before bed.

Unfortunately, satisfying that craving with potato chips or Doritos brings a carbohydrate crash later in the night, creating a blood sugar roller coaster that further disrupts sleep.

Testing the Theory: A Simple Experiment

Berg’s practical advice is refreshingly straightforward: just try it.

“The cool thing is all you have to do is try this to see if it works for you, and you’re going to know within probably a few minutes,” he says.

Dissolve a teaspoon of high-quality sea salt in water throughout the day. If you feel noticeably better—more energized, less dizzy, genuinely hydrated—you’ve likely found your answer.

Of course, individual circumstances vary. People with high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart conditions should consult their healthcare provider before dramatically increasing sodium intake.

Don’t Forget the Other Electrolytes

While Berg’s video focuses heavily on sodium, he’s quick to remind viewers that it’s just one piece of the electrolyte puzzle.

Potassium, in particular, works in tandem with sodium to regulate fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle contractions. The modern diet tends to be potassium-poor and sodium-rich (from processed foods), creating an imbalance that can contribute to high blood pressure.

Whole food sources of potassium include leafy greens, avocados, bananas, potatoes, and fish. Berg recommends addressing all electrolytes—sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium—for optimal hydration and cellular function.

Rethinking Hydration

The conventional wisdom to “drink eight glasses of water a day” oversimplifies hydration.

True hydration isn’t about volume alone—it’s about retention. Water needs electrolytes to cross cell membranes and stay where your body needs it most.

Berg’s message challenges the anti-salt narrative that’s dominated nutrition advice for decades. While excessive sodium from processed foods remains a legitimate concern, inadequate sodium—especially in active people, low-carb dieters, or those drinking large amounts of plain water—may be far more common than previously recognized.

If you’ve been drowning yourself in water only to feel perpetually parched, the solution might be sitting in your salt shaker.

Sources

• O’Donnell M, Mente A, Rangarajan S, et al. Urinary sodium and potassium excretion, mortality, and cardiovascular events. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1311889
• Mente A, O’Donnell M, Rangarajan S, et al. Associations of urinary sodium excretion with cardiovascular events in individuals with and without hypertension: a pooled analysis of data from four studies. The Lancet. 2016. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30467-6/fulltext
• U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/