Matthew is a long-time flight attendant for a major airline, as well as a particularly loyal and helpful customer. A few months ago, he sent us a request.

While he loves getting his airfare snack delivery every month, he wanted an easier way to keep his sodium intake in check. He had the idea of filtering our 60+ snacks for those low in sodium, a feature he thought other customers could also benefit from.

We listen closely to all customer feedback, and Matthew's request was the type we like to act on. It would likely be useful to many customers, and also reaffirms our mission—making it easier to eat healthy on the go.

We're happy to introduce the new "low sodium" snack filter, but first, let's address the core question, Jerry Seinfeld style: what is the deal with sodium? Is salt unhealthy?

Here’s what the science says.

The science of salt and sodium

It's important to start with the distinction between salt and sodium.

Salt—as in the kind on our tables or in the Atlantic Ocean—is actually a rock, a mineral. And it's made of sodium and chloride.

Sodium is a chemical element, Na on the periodic table. Our bodies need a small amount of sodium—about 500 milligrams a day—to regulate things like muscle contraction and nerve impulses. As a reference point, a spinach and beet salad contains some 100 milligrams of sodium, while a single teaspoon of salt packs more than 2,300 milligrams. 😬

Sodium deficiency is extremely rare in most first-world countries, partially because salt is added to most restaurant foods. The larger concern is having too much sodium in the body.

Americans average about 3,400 milligrams of sodium intake per day. According to most authorities and most studies we’ve seen, that's probably too much.

The World Health Organization, for instance, advises a daily sodium intake of 2,300 milligrams per day, whereas the American Heart Association (AHA) is stricter, advising us to aim for less than 1,500. The reason for these targets centers around sodium intake and its connection with high blood pressure. a risk factor for heart disease.

Based on these studies and its own work, the U.S. Institute of Medicine created a “chronic disease risk reduction” (CDRR) suggested intake of 2,300 milligrams per day.

The bottom line

Overall, the CDDR seems like a good initial target, with the AHA’s maximum daily intake of 1,500 milligrams being ideal. Of course, we are not doctors, nor is this medical advice.

Each airfare snack contains about 100 milligrams of sodium, but the range is wide—from 0 to 360 milligrams. While this may or may not be an issue depending on how many and which specific snacks you eat, awareness is key.

So, to be more mindful of sodium intake, it's now easy to sort snacks in the airfare marketplace with the “low sodium” filter. Selecting that filter will show only snacks with fewer than 35 milligrams of sodium, which is the bar for "very low sodium content" established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

And you can thank Matthew for that.

If you have a request or an idea for a new feature on the site—we're always ready to listen.

Stay salty, my friends.