Sodium in Water: Which Brands Deliver Most

The sodium-richest water in the analysis list we opened is Staufer Quelle Medium, with 924 milligrams of sodium per litre. Kaiser Friedrich Quelle and Apollinaris follow with roughly 480 each. A water may call itself "sodium-containing" from 200 milligrams per litre, and that group is small. Most bottles on the shelf sit far below it. If you want sodium from your water, you check the label, work out your daily amount, and ask yourself first whether you belong to the group this makes sense for. Everything on that is below.

Which mineral waters are high in sodium?

We took the values from an analysis list by the German Osteoporosis Self-Help Group (2025) and added a 2011 Stiftung Warentest figure for Apollinaris. The list itself says it is "for orientation only", and producers change their analyses. The label on your bottle always beats our table. All figures in milligrams of sodium per litre, highest first:

• Staufer Quelle Medium: 924
• Kaiser Friedrich Quelle: 484
• Apollinaris Classic: 480 (Warentest 2011)
• Cascada Classic: 297
• Graf Metternich Classic: 294
• K3 Sprudel (Aktivquelle): 241
• Luisen Aktivquelle: 240
• Hohenloher Medium: 188
• Ulrichquelle Medium: 151
• Gerolsteiner Sprudel: 118

For comparison, the other end of the shelf. Rohrauer Still has 11, Valser 10, Contrex 9 and Adelbodner Spezial 7 milligrams. All four sit below the 20 mg limit for a low-sodium diet. Staatl. Fachingen is not in this list, but the 2015 Warentest describes it as having "very high sodium", as reproduced on testberichte.de.

A word on context: the list comes from a support group that collects waters high in calcium. It does not cover every water on the market, so waters with even more sodium may exist. You can still compare, because the numbers show the order of magnitude.

When does a mineral water count as high in sodium?

The German Mineral and Table Water Ordinance sets it in Annex 6. Above 200 milligrams per litre the label may say "sodium-containing". Below 20 milligrams the water counts as suitable for a low-sodium diet. The limit for preparing infant formula is also 20. In between there is no label, so the number in the analysis is what counts.

In June 2026 Stiftung Warentest tested 52 natural mineral waters and wrote that most contain less than 20 milligrams, while more than 200 is "rather rare". That matches our list. The range is huge, from under 10 to over 900 milligrams.

What does this mean for your day?

The German Nutrition Society gives 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day as the estimated adequate intake for adults. That equals just under 3.8 grams of table salt, because salt is about 40 percent sodium. Rule of thumb: sodium times 2.5 gives salt.

Now the sums. One litre of Staufer Quelle Medium brings 924 milligrams of sodium, so well over 60 percent of that estimate and about 2.3 grams of salt, all without you ever touching the salt shaker or turning over the pack of a ready meal. Two litres of it over the day would already exceed the whole estimate. With a water at 480 milligrams, 1.5 litres give about 720. With Gerolsteiner Sprudel at 118 milligrams you reach 177 after 1.5 litres.

Keep in mind that sodium occurs naturally in almost every food. According to the DGE, bread, cheese, sausage and tinned fish are among the sodium-rich ones. Your plate usually delivers plenty already. The water comes on top. Whether that is worth it depends on what else you eat and how much you sweat.

Water retention: what sodium-rich water does in the body

Sodium and water go together. The body uses sodium to control how much fluid it holds. Take in a lot, and it holds on to more water until the kidneys excrete the surplus. Not a fault, just normal operation.

You notice it on salty days. Crisps and pizza in the evening, a ring that feels tighter in the morning, or the scales a notch higher after a restaurant visit: many people know that. A glass of sodium-rich mineral water with your meal will not conjure up water retention. But look at the total. If you already eat plenty of salty food and add a litre of Staufer every day, you put another 900 milligrams or so on top.

Simply avoiding sodium is just as wrong, because the body needs it for water balance, nerve impulses and blood pressure and therefore demands a minimum amount. Quantity, not abstinence.

Who should choose sodium-rich water, and who should skip it

A water with 200 to 500 milligrams makes sense for anyone who sweats a lot. Sweat contains sodium. If you get on the bike for two hours in summer, hang on the bottle thirsty after a long shift in the heat, or train three times a week, you lose salt along with the fluid, and a water from the sodium group gives some of it back on the side, without you having to take anything extra.

It looks different if your doctor advises less salt. The DGE is clear: a high sodium intake can raise the risk of high blood pressure. With high blood pressure, kidney or heart disease you therefore reach for waters under 20 milligrams and agree your drinking amount with your doctor. For infant formula the same applies: only water that is labelled for it.

Everyone else can choose freely. Healthy adults on a normal diet balance sodium through the kidneys. Then the choice is open.

What the water lacks when you lose electrolytes

Sodium never leaves alone when you sweat. Potassium, magnesium and chloride go with the sweat, and mineral waters contain very different amounts of them. In our list, Staufer has 101 milligrams of potassium per litre, Apollinaris 30, and most other waters only a little or nothing. Rarely more than a side note.

So a sodium-rich water replaces at best a part. If you want to cover the whole set around sport or hot days, build the Electrolyte Complex into your day. One tablet gives 60 milligrams of sodium, the daily dose of three tablets 180 milligrams, plus 405 milligrams of potassium and 120 milligrams of magnesium. With Staufer it is 924 milligrams of sodium against 101 of potassium; in the tablets potassium sits above sodium.

How to read the label in three steps

First: find the mineral analysis on the back of the bottle and read off sodium (Na) in mg/l. Second: remember the number 200. Above it the water is sodium-containing, below it not. Third: work out your daily amount. For two litres you double the value, for a 0.75-litre bottle you multiply by 0.75.

Batches vary slightly. Producers change their analyses from time to time. The values in this list are therefore only orientation. Always look at the bottle in your hand.

If you do not want to leave sodium to chance, combine any water you like with the Electrolyte Complex. That way you know how much you take in and do not depend on the choice of spring. One example: two tablets bring 120 milligrams of sodium, as much as a litre of Gerolsteiner Sprudel. A litre of Staufer, by contrast, equals a good 15 tablets.

Matching Products from Scheunengut

Our Electrolyte Complex is the measured answer to the question behind all those water lists: how do I get sodium, potassium and magnesium in a ratio I decide myself? Every two tablets contain 120 milligrams of sodium, 400 milligrams of chloride, 270 milligrams of potassium, 130 milligrams of calcium and 80 milligrams of magnesium. Recommended intake: 3 tablets daily with plenty of fluid, with meals. That is 180 milligrams of sodium, 600 milligrams of chloride, 405 milligrams of potassium, 195 milligrams of calcium and 120 milligrams of magnesium per daily dose. 360 tablets last 120 days.

The authorised statements on the minerals: Magnesium contributes to normal electrolyte balance, to normal muscle function and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Potassium contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure and to the normal functioning of the nervous system. Calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission.

No added sugar, no unnecessary additives or release agents, made in Germany, every batch sent to an independent lab. Scheunengut has existed since 2012, without investors in the background, with a focus on pure raw-material quality. For high-dose magnesium we also carry Magnesium Bisglycinate. With high blood pressure, kidney disease or medication, talk to your doctor before taking it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which mineral water has the most sodium?

In the German Osteoporosis Self-Help Group list (2025), Staufer Quelle Medium leads with 924 milligrams per litre. Kaiser Friedrich Quelle follows with 484 and Apollinaris Classic with about 480 milligrams. Always check the current label, as analyses change.

From what level is mineral water high in sodium?

From more than 200 milligrams of sodium per litre it may be called "sodium-containing" under the German Mineral and Table Water Ordinance. Below 20 milligrams it counts as suitable for a low-sodium diet. In between there is no separate label.

Is mineral water with a lot of sodium healthy?

For healthy adults on a normal diet it is harmless, because the kidneys balance sodium. What counts is the total amount: the DGE estimate is 1,500 milligrams a day, and bread, cheese and sausage already deliver a lot. With high blood pressure, kidney or heart disease you choose low-sodium water.

Does sodium-rich water cause water retention?

Sodium binds water in the body, so with a high intake it holds more fluid until the kidneys balance it out. A glass with a meal changes little. If you eat a lot of salty food and drink litres of sodium-rich water every day, you add up several hundred milligrams.

Which water suits high blood pressure?

The usual choice is water under 20 milligrams of sodium per litre, such as Valser, Contrex or Rohrauer Still according to the list. You discuss your drinking amount with your doctor. Salty foods often count for more than the glass of water.

Is mineral water enough to replace sodium during sport?

A water with 200 to 500 milligrams returns part of what sweat takes away. It brings little potassium and magnesium, though. To cover the pair, add the Electrolyte Complex, 3 tablets daily with meals.

How do I convert sodium to salt?

Sodium times 2.5 gives the amount of salt. So 924 milligrams of sodium per litre equal about 2.3 grams of salt, and the DGE estimate of 1,500 milligrams of sodium just under 3.8 grams.