One teaspoon of salt
contains 2,235 mg of sodium, almost as much sodium as the recommended
daily amount. In today's society of convenience foods, it is hard to
monitor your intake of sodium. Processed foods and eating out can lead
to a diet far exceeding the safe amount of sodium to eat in a day.
Eating too much sodium can cause negative side effects.
Water Retention
Your
body works on a system of checks and balances. Sodium, an electrolyte,
must be balanced out with other electrolytes as well as water. When you
consume too much salt, your brain signals you to drink to balance out
excess sodium. Under the presence of sodium, your body then holds onto
excess water, resulting in water retention.
Elevated Blood Pressure
High
levels of salt intake can acutely and chronically elevate your blood
pressure. Upon ingestion of salt, water retention adds to the resistance
around your heart. Added resistance means your heart must pump harder,
increasing your blood pressure. Over time, increased salt intake can
permanently elevate your blood pressure. Hypertension can lead to heart
disease because the heart must perform extra work, even at rest.
Weight Gain
Too
much salt in your diet can cause you to gain weight. Immediately after
eating an excess amount of salt, your weight is elevated due to water
retention. However, a diet high in sodium is also associated with
processed, high-fat foods. Chronic intake of high-calorie, processed
foods can lead to weight gain over time. Weight gain is also bad for an
already elevated blood pressure.
Kidney Damage
High
amounts of salt not only put excess pressure on the heart, but also on
the kidneys. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering the waste out of
your blood and excreting it as urine. When you retain water from eating
too much salt, your kidneys must work harder because there is more
fluid to filter. Over time, this can lead to kidney damage.
Salt contains sodium and sodium
chloride. It is essential for many bodily functions, but too much can
cause health problems. You should limit your sodium intake to 1,500 to
2,300mg per day and stick to the lower end, suggests MayoClinic.com.
Decrease this amount if you have high blood pressure, atherosclerosis or
heart disease. You should also limit your intake if you have a family
history of these health conditions.
Sources of Sodium
Having
1 tsp. of salt throughout the day provides 2,300mg of sodium. Some
natural foods such as cheese, seafood and olives contain high amounts of
sodium. Baking soda in baked goods and breads also contains sodium.
Each teaspoon of baking soda has 1,000mg of sodium, according to the
American Heart Association. Processed foods are high in sodium. Examples
of processed foods include tomato sauce, soup, condiments and canned
goods.
Avoid foods with MSG, which is common in Chinese foods and
restaurant foods. MSG contains very high levels of sodium.
Functions of Salt
Sodium
in salt helps maintain a balance of fluid in your body, allows your
muscles to contract and relax and helps transmit nerve impulses, says
MayoClinic.com. You do need some salt in your body for these functions,
but too much can be harmful.
Sodium Imbalance
Having
a sodium imbalance can cause several health problems. Symptoms of a
sodium imbalance include muscle cramps, weakness, irritability and fluid
retention, reports the University of Illinois.
A condition known as
hyponatremia occurs when there is too much water compared to sodium in
the body. Hyponatremia health risks include kidney disease, heart
disease and cirrhosis of the liver. Hypernatremia happens when there is
not enough water compared to sodium.
Health risks of hypernatremia
include severe vomiting or diarrhea, poor kidney function and fever.
Dehydration
Consuming
too much salt may lead to dehydration. By the time you feel thirsty,
you are already dehydrated. As dehydration worsens, you may also
experience dry skin, sleeplessness, irritability, headaches and
cramping. If you have severe dehydration, you may experience fainting
spells, low blood pressure or a fast, weak pulse, reports
HeartSpring.net.
High Blood Pressure
Adding
too much salt to your foods may increase your blood pressure, which is
also referred to as hypertension. Limit your sodium intake by reducing
the salt in your diet if you have, or are at risk for high blood
pressure, suggests MayoClinic.com. Symptoms of high blood pressure
include headaches, dizzy spells, blurred vision and chest pain.
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