The sugars figure in this database is total sugars — it includes the fructose in whole fruit alongside sucrose stirred into soda. Whole-food entries with naturally occurring sugar come with fiber, water, and micronutrients; the same sugar number in a soft drink, candy, or frosted cereal arrives with nothing attached.
Sodium: essential but easy to overload
Sodium is required for nerve function and fluid balance, but the adequate intake level is 1,500 mg per day and most people consume two to three times that. The upper limit commonly cited is 2,300 mg. Because 1 g of salt contains about 390 mg of sodium, the two figures are not interchangeable.
Where sodium actually hides
Salt shakers account for a minority of intake. In this database the largest sodium concentrations sit in processed meats, soups, sauces, cheeses, breads, and restaurant dishes — categories where salt functions as flavoring or preservative rather than seasoning you added yourself.
Reading labels in both directions
Check sugars on beverages, sweets, cereals, and sauces. Check sodium on anything canned, cured, baked, or restaurant-made. For a single item the per-100 g figure allows honest comparison; for real meals, multiply by the portion you will actually eat.
Swaps that move the needle
Replacing one sugary drink a day removes roughly 25–50 g of sugar. Rinsing canned beans cuts a meaningful share of their sodium. Choosing plain yogurt and adding fruit beats flavored versions by 10–15 g of sugar per serving. Small swaps compound.