Can Adding a Pinch of Salt to Your Water Really Help You Stay Hydrated?

If you’re on TikTok, you may have come across videos promoting a new so-called wellness hack—the idea that adding salt to your water can boost hydration. Some proponents of this trend say that since sodium is a key electrolyte that helps balance fluid levels, putting salt in your drinking water helps replenish sodium losses and optimizes hydration. 

There is some truth to this fad: Adding a very small amount of salt to your water could offer some hydration benefits for certain people, such as “salty sweaters” and those who are exercising intensely on a hot day, experts say. But this isn’t something you should be doing all the time, nor is it right for everyone. (After all, too much sodium in your diet isn’t good for your health either.) 

Here’s what you should know about adding salt to water for hydration, including situations where it might be helpful—plus when you should definitely skip it.  

Why Would You Add Salt to Water for Hydration?

Everyone’s sweat contains sodium and other electrolytes, and when you become sweaty—such as when you’re exercising outside on a hot, humid day—your body expels some of those electrolytes. In situations like these, someone might add salt to water if they needed to replenish their sodium, explains Gabbi Berkow, RD, a registered dietitian certified in sports dietetics based in New York. 

“Sodium is the key electrolyte that helps your body stay hydrated,” says Cassandra Padula Burke, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Catalyst Performance Lab in Finksburg, Maryland. This electrolyte helps promote fluid retention, which can support hydration for some people. 

For instance, adding salt to water might make sense for folks who tend to sweat a lot, have particularly salty sweat (meaning they have high sodium losses when they sweat), or those with low blood pressure, Berkow says. But most people don’t need extra sodium. And in fact, most Americans actually already get too much of it: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend adults consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, but the average American is getting around 3,400 milligrams (48 percent more than recommended!), according to the US Food & Drug Administration. 

And while it’s true that sodium attracts water—that’s one reason why a very small amount of it can help support hydration—high-sodium diets pull too much water into the bloodstream, which can lead to high blood pressure and up the risk of health conditions like heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. As a result, around 1.89 million people die every year from causes associated with high sodium consumption, the World Health Organization says. 

Does Adding Salt to Water for Hydration Really Work?

“For those who exercise or are exposed to environments and activities that promote fluid loss, sodium can help with restoring fluid balance when also replacing enough fluid itself,” says Kelly Jones, RD, a sports dietitian to pro athletes and active families.

Adding a little bit of sodium to food or beverages also stimulates your thirst (think about how quickly you find yourself reaching for a glass of water after eating a salty serving of French fries, for example). If you’re someone who really struggles to maintain your fluid intake before, after, or during exercise, this might be helpful, Jones adds. (More on that later.)

But overall, the benefits of adding salt to water for hydration are relatively small. And again, most people don’t need any more sodium than they’re already consuming—and too much can be dangerous. “I would only recommend this to individuals who are physically active and who do not have a history of high blood pressure or heart disease,” Jones says.

When Could Adding Salt to Water for Hydration Potentially Help?

Some people who struggle to maintain hydration levels throughout the day may benefit from a very tiny amount of sodium added to their water, Jones says. For example, maybe you don’t particularly enjoy drinking water but need to hydrate before exercise, or you’re going to be spending a lot of time in a hot environment (such as exercising or doing physical labor in the heat). 

In these situations, “adding salt to water may help to stimulate thirst, so you actually feel the desire to drink water before a dehydrating activity,” Jones says. When you’re sweating a lot after a hard workout or being out in the heat, this small amount of salt may help counter sodium loss from sweat and keep blood flowing smoothly to your muscles and brain for sustained performance, according to Berkow.

Adding salt to your water before an early morning workout may also be beneficial if you haven’t had enough time to hydrate before exercising. “It’s recommended to consume an additional 16 to 24 ounces of fluid (on top of daily needs) one to three hours prior to exercise,” Berkow says. “For those who don’t have that time, drinking some fluid along with sodium may help with fluid retention and thirst.”

As for how much salt you’d add? “A good rule of thumb is about ⅛–¼ teaspoon of salt per liter of water, which adds about 300–600 milligrams of sodium,” Burke says. “That’s enough to help your body absorb and retain fluids without overloading on sodium.” 

But again, Jones stresses that this would only be appropriate for some people; if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, or certain other health conditions, adding salt to your water could be unhealthy, so it’s always best to check with your doctor first.

Does the Type of Salt Matter?

“For the most part, salt is salt,” Jones says. There are “negligible” differences in terms of mineral content when you break down how much the average person is actually ingesting in a day, she adds.

More important than salt type is the amount: A “pinch” of salt should be no more than ¼ teaspoon, Berkow reminds us. Most people definitely don’t want to add salt to every glass of water you drink, either—remember that it’s only right for certain folks in certain situations, like the ones outlined above. And again, most people need less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, so it’s important to be mindful about how much more you’ll be consuming for the rest of the day. 

Always consult your doctor first to double check that adding salt to water for hydration would benefit you at all, Berkow says. “And spread your sodium intake throughout the day, and time the most [you get] before and after sweating a lot, such as before or after workouts.”

The Takeaway

Sprinkling a tiny pinch of salt into your water and sipping on it during exercise may help counter sodium that’s lost in sweat during a workout, experts say, especially if you’re a so-called “salty sweater,” if you frequently exercise outside in hot weather, or if you have low blood pressure. But you should speak to your doctor before adding salt to your water; too much sodium can be dangerous, and most Americans already consume more than they need.