The positive influence of salt Your body cannot produce sodium, so salt is important in your diet. Sodium helps regulate water management and the pH of your body, and it regulates blood pressure. Salt is essential if you exercise a lot, because it helps to regulate the amount of water in your body, and it makes you thirsty, so that you replenish the amount of water you have lost through sweating. Sodium also helps with the stimulation of nerves and the contraction of your muscles.