Discovering The Potential Risks of High Salt Intake
A typical lecture received from our physicians as we get older is to watch our salt. Sadly this doesn’t mean watching it as it adds flavor to our food. Instead, it means we need to monitor our intake to ensure that it doesn’t affect our health. Salt is an essential nutrient for sustaining good health. At one point, it was hard enough to obtain. It was more valuable than gold. Today it’s found in significant quantities in almost everything we consume. Unfortunately, there are serious health consequences for some who eat too much salt.
Understanding How Sodium Intake Affects Our Health
Our kidneys regulate the salt in our bodies. It plays a distinct role in maintaining the balance of fluids in the body. Our nervous system also relies on it for helping our muscles function, and the nerves transmit information. When there’s too much salt in our system, it can directly affect the amount of water in our blood vessels. This increase, in turn, can increase blood pressure, which isn’t good for our hearts.
The symptoms of high blood pressure aren’t always easy to identify. This feature has led to it being labeled as “the silent killer.” The increased pressure can cause our blood vessels to stretch, damaging the walls. It can also lead to the build-up of plaque in our arteries, making it difficult for blood to pass. This change, in turn, leads to the pressure further increases in our veins. As an aside, the increased water levels can result in weight gain and bloating.
Hypertension is a major contributing factor in the development of heart disease. This condition is the leading killer of people all over the world. Only 10% of people will manage to escape the development of high blood pressure over their lifespan. The most frequent sources of salt in the average diet include:
- Packaged food
- Restaurant food
- Naturally occurring sources in food
- Added to food when cooked at home
It can be difficult to avoid high levels of sodium in your diet as a result. The majority of salt is already in the food you eat, making it challenging to reduce. Regrettably, reducing the amount of salt you eat is an integral part of lasting health. Reducing the amount of salt you consume to under 1500 mg/day can lower your blood pressure by up to 25.6%.
The Science Doesn’t Lie
The reports that indicate that salt intake isn’t a severe concern are mainly inaccurate. Their data often miscalculates the amount of sodium consumed by the subjects. They also tend to focus on those with ailing health rather than the general population. If you want to know if salt intake is a concern for you, speak to your physician. They’ll be able to determine if you need to watch the amount of salt you consume. People worldwide experience complications related to high sodium intake, and you may be one of them. Checking with your physician will ensure you can take action to protect your health by reducing your intake.
