Why Too Much Salt Is Bad For Health

We all know that salt is vital, as it gives taste to our food. We also know that anything in excess is bad for our health. But, with salt, those who are 60, those with high blood pressure and suffering from diabetes  are greater risk by eating more salt.

How excess salt affects our bodies-
In most people, the kidneys have trouble keeping up with the excess sodium in the bloodstream. As sodium accumulates, the body holds onto water to dilute the sodium. This increases both the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Increased blood volume means more work for the heart and more pressure on blood vessels. Over time, the extra work and pressure can stiffen blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. It can also lead to heart failure. There is also some evidence that too much salt can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys without increasing blood pressure, and that it may be bad for bones, too.
High blood pressure is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. It accounts for two-thirds of all strokes and half of heart disease.  In China, high blood pressure is the leading cause of preventable death, responsible for more than one million deaths a year. 

The importance of potassium

Sodium and potassium have opposite effects on heart health: High salt intake increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, while high potassium intake can help relax blood vessels and excrete the sodium and decrease blood pressure.
Our bodies need far more potassium than sodium each day, but the typical US diet is just the opposite: Americans average about 3,300 milligrams of sodium per day, about 75 percent of which comes from processed foods, while only getting about 2,900 milligrams of potassium each day.
A recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine provides more evidence that high salt diets have negative effects on health, and found that:

• People who eat high sodium, low potassium diets have a higher risk of dying a heart attack or from any cause.

• People can make a key dietary change to help lower their risk: Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium—and eat less bread, cheese, and processed meat, as these and other processed foods are high in sodium and low in potassium.

In this study, people with the highest sodium intakes had a 20 percent higher risk of death from any cause than people with the lowest sodium intakes. People with the highest potassium intakes had a 20 percent lower risk of dying than people with the lowest intakes. But what may be even more important for health is the relationship of sodium to potassium in the diet: People with the highest ratio of sodium to potassium in their diets had double the risk of dying of a heart attack than people with the lowest ratio, and they had a 50 percent higher risk of death from any cause.

Cardiovascular disease

Besides contributing to high blood pressure,  consuming high amounts of sodium can also lead to stroke, heart disease, and heart failure.
Research also shows that reducing sodium lowers cardiovascular disease and death rates over the long term.


Cancer
Research shows that higher intake of salt, sodium, or salty foods is linked to an increase in stomach cancer. The experts concluded that salt, as well as salted and salty foods, are a “probable cause of stomach cancer.” 

Osteoporosis
The amount of calcium that your body loses via urination increases with the amount of salt you eat. If calcium is in short supply in the blood, it can be leached out of the bones. So, a diet high in sodium could have an additional unwanted effect—the bone-thinning disease known as osteoporosis.  A study in post-menopausal women showed that the loss of hip bone density over two years was related to the 24-hour urinary sodium excretion at the start of the study, and that the connection with bone loss was as strong as that for calcium intake.  Other studies have shown that reducing salt intake causes a positive calcium balance, suggesting that reducing the salt intake could slow the loss of calcium from bone that occurs with aging.

Clear Signs You’re Eating Too Much Salt

Your brain feels foggy

 Who knew that salt could even impact your brain function? According to a 2011  study on 1,200 more sedentary adults, those with high-sodium diets had a higher chance of cognitive decline than those with less salt in their diets. As you age it is important to keep track of how much salt you consume, and make changes if necessary.

Your thirst is raging

Foods with high amount of sodium (think: chips, spaghetti sauce, and pepperoni pizza) make you feel thirstier, because sodium messes with the balance of fluid in your body. If you had a day of eating more high-sodium food, like at a baseball game, try to drink a lot of water. Your body is probably craving water, so it can restore the salt balance in your cells.

Your body is swelling in strange places

Yes, just one night of too much sodium can actually make you look and feel more bloated in the morning. This is called edema, the swelling of extra fluid in your body’s tissues. According to Mayo Clinic, edema can be a symptom of an underlying disease, but it can also be a sign of too much sodium in your diet. The simple solution is to cut back on sodium. Read food labels, look for low-sodium options, or cook your own food to control the salt.

You get kidney stones

A diet high in too much sodium can actually hinder kidney function. According to the doctors, too much salt can increase the amount of protein found in your urine. More protein in your urine is a “major risk factor” for kidney disease. Additionally, high-sodium diets can also increase the risk of kidney stones. If you have excessive kidney stones or pain, you should see a doctor and work with a nutritionist to change to a low sodium diet. 

You have stomach ulcers

Too much sodium has been linked to stomach ulcers and cancer in animals, according to a study published. Although more research is needed, the findings suggest that people should be wary of salt damaging their stomach lining.

You have high blood pressure

Americans consume almost 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day. According to the doctors, you should be eating only 1,500 milligrams of sodium. This extra sodium can increase blood pressure by holding more fluid in the body, making your heart pump harder. Ask your doctor if following a low sodium diet could lower your blood pressure.

You use table salt (like, ever)

While it is good to control your own salt intake, it is easy to overdo the salt shaker. A half a teaspoon of table salt contains 1,150 milligrams of sodium. If you shake some salt on your pasta three times during a meal, the milligrams of sodium can quickly add up. Bottom line: Minimize your use of the salt shaker, especially if you eat a lot of convenience foods (which tend to be rich in sodium). 

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