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Sodium, explained.
How much sodium is in an electrolyte drink?
Salt, sodium, per serving, per 100ml. The numbers on electrolyte labels can look like they disagree. Here’s how to read them, and where a Spruce sachet sits.
Reviewed 21 October 2026 by the Spruce team. General information, not medical advice.
The short answer.
It varies a lot. Some electrolyte drinks carry only a little sodium per serving, while products made for heavy sweating can carry many times more. Check the label for sodium per serving, not salt, and remember salt is roughly 2.5 times the sodium figure.
- One Spruce sachet
- 120mg sodium
- As salt
- 0.3g
- Of the NHS adult daily max
- 5%
The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, about 2.4g of sodium.
Tear. Tip. Top up.
Low sodium,
by the glass.
One Spruce daily electrolyte sachet has 120mg of sodium, about 0.3g of salt. Mixed into 500ml of water, that’s 24mg per 100ml.
- Sodium × 2.5 = salt
- The NHS adult maximum is 6g of salt a day
- Read labels per serving and per 100ml
Salt and sodium are not the same number.
Two words.
One conversion.
Salt is sodium chloride. Multiply sodium by 2.5 to get salt, or divide salt by 2.5 to get sodium. Try any number from a label.
Sodium is usually shown in mg. Salt is usually in g.
02Or start from
One teaspoon of salt is about 6g.
Conversion from NHS salt guidance: salt = sodium × 2.5. Adults: no more than 6g salt a day, about a teaspoon.
Per serving or per 100ml?
Same sachet.
Different number.
Labels can show sodium per serving, per 100ml, or both. A sachet’s sodium stays the same however much water you add, but the amount in every 100ml drops as the glass gets bigger.
Under UK nutrition claim rules, a food or drink can be called low sodium if it contains no more than 0.12g of sodium per 100g or 100ml, as sold or as prepared. For a sachet, that means the drink once it is mixed with water.
Mixed with 500ml of water, one sachet gives 24mg of sodium per 100ml.
How to read an electrolyte label.
Five spots
worth a look.
Tap a number on the label to see what it’s telling you.
Nutrition
Typical values One sachet + 500ml water
| Per 100ml | Per serving | |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 24mg | 120mg |
| Salt | 0.06g | 0.3g |
| Sugars | 0g | 0g |
| Potassium | 40mg | 200mg |
| Calcium | 20mg | 100mg |
| Magnesium | 12mg | 60mg |
01 / Serving size
Start with the serving.
Check how much water the sachet or tablet goes into. Every other number on the panel depends on it.
- Find sodium per serving, or convert from salt by dividing by 2.5.
- Check the serving size and how much water it goes into.
- Look at the other electrolytes too: potassium, calcium and magnesium.
- Check for sugar if you want an everyday drink.
Where most sodium comes from.
It’s mostly
in the food.
The NHS says about three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods, such as bread, breakfast cereals and ready meals, before anyone reaches for the salt shaker.
That’s why the label matters more than the shaker. On food, the NHS front-of-pack guide calls more than 1.5g of salt per 100g high, and 0.3g or less per 100g low.
Per 100g of food, from the NHS guide to reading food labels.
Not all electrolyte drinks do the same job.
What to check,
format by format.
Sodium is one number among several. Here’s what to look at on each kind of product.
Show the comparison table
| Format | Usually made for | Sodium to expect | Also check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce electrolyte sachet | An everyday glass of water, with real fruit | Low sodium: 120mg per sachet | Mix into 300–500ml. 0g sugar. |
| High-sodium electrolyte mixes | Replacing what’s lost through heavy, prolonged sweating, such as long-distance training | Often many times more per serving | Serving size and how often the label suggests using it |
| Sports drinks | Activity | Varies by product | Sugar per bottle |
| Effervescent tablets | Convenience: fizz in a bottle | Varies by product | Sodium per tablet and any sweeteners |
| Oral rehydration sachets | Pharmacy products for dehydration, for example from diarrhoea | Set by the product | Follow the pack or a pharmacist’s advice |
Other formats vary by brand: always read the individual label.
Myth, meet fact.
A little salty
myth-busting.
Tap a card to flip it.
Where Spruce sits.
Little sachet.
Big glass energy.
Each Spruce sachet contains 120mg of sodium from pink Himalayan salt*. Mixed into 500ml of water, that is 24mg per 100ml, alongside 200mg potassium, 100mg calcium and 60mg magnesium.
The short answer.
Sodium in electrolyte
drinks, at a glance.
Sodium in electrolyte drinks varies widely, from low-sodium everyday sachets to high-sodium formats for heavy sweating. Salt is about 2.5 times the sodium figure. In the UK, “low sodium” means no more than 0.12g of sodium per 100ml as prepared. A Spruce electrolyte sachet contains 120mg of sodium, 24mg per 100ml when mixed with 500ml of water.
- Salt from sodium
- Sodium × 2.5
- NHS adult maximum
- 6g salt (about 2.4g sodium)
- “Low sodium” claim
- ≤ 0.12g sodium per 100ml
- Spruce per sachet
- 120mg sodium
- Spruce in 500ml
- 24mg sodium per 100ml
- Other electrolytes
- Potassium, calcium, magnesium
Less wondering. More water.
Quick
questions.
The salty details, answered.
Is 120mg of sodium a lot?
It is about 5% of the NHS guide of no more than 2.4g of sodium a day for adults.
Why do some electrolyte drinks have so much sodium?
They are designed to replace what is lost through heavy, prolonged sweating, such as long-distance training.
How do I turn sodium into salt?
Multiply sodium by 2.5. So 120mg of sodium is about 0.3g of salt. To go the other way, divide salt by 2.5. Try the converter.
What does “low sodium” mean on a label?
Under UK nutrition claim rules, a food or drink can be called low sodium if it contains no more than 0.12g of sodium per 100g or 100ml, as sold or as prepared. For a sachet, that means the drink once it is mixed with water.
Does adding more water change the sodium?
Not per sachet: the sodium in the sachet stays the same. It does lower the sodium in every 100ml, which is why per-100ml figures depend on how much water you use.
How much salt should children have?
The NHS sets lower maximums for children: 2g of salt a day for ages 1 to 3, 3g for 4 to 6, 5g for 7 to 10, and 6g from 11. Babies need very little salt. Follow the guidance on any product’s pack.
Is pink Himalayan salt lower in sodium?
Pink Himalayan salt is still salt, so its sodium counts towards your day like any other.
Should I limit sodium?
The NHS says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, and it all adds up across food and drink. If you need to limit sodium or manage a medical condition, check with your healthcare professional before adding an electrolyte drink.