This is what too much salt does to your body
Salt is a necessity for many of the body’s basic functions. The directorate of health recommends a daily intake of about 5 grams. Most of us consume twice as much.
Natrium in salt serves an important role in several life essential chemical reactions in our body. It helps maintain a healthy nervous system and good muscle function. In addition, it ensures a balance in bodily fluids by creating equilibrium in base and acid. When we eat too much salt, it can accompany a range of health risks.
Too much salt?
The recommended daily intake is at 5 grams a dya. This is more than the 1 ½ grams your body need to run its processes in a healthy way. Most of us have a much higher intake than this. Because much of the food we eat today is semi-finished products and processed food we often don’t realize the amount of salt we’re eating.
More than 90% of the natrium we consume is excreted in the urine. The remaining part leaves with sweat and excrement. To see whether or not you get too much salt you can have your natrium levels tested by a urine sample. Usually, you don’t have to go quite as far to calculate your salt consumption. Having a proper look at the food you eat throughout a day usually indicates your natrium intake fairly well.
Where do we get all of the salt?
We get about 70-80% of the salt through semi-finished products and processed food. 10% comes from pure raw materials, where natrium is a natural part of the product. The last percentages are those we add to our food through spices. You can find large differences in daily salt intake between those who mainly make their food from scratch and those who prefer running by the store or the local takeaway shop for a quick meal.
Some foods obviously have a higher salt level than others. If you suspect your salt intake to be too high you should avoid foods like:
- Cured meats
- Meats for bread
- Certain types of cheese
- Cereal
- Ready-made sauces
What is too much salt doing to our health?
Excessive salt intake may have a series of negative impact on your health. When we exceed the recommendations from the directorate of health, we especially increase the risk of:
- High blood pressure. Too much salt increases the risk of high blood pressure, which over time may lead to damage on your veins. The result may be heart attack, stroke, ocular changes or kidney damage.
- Increased risk of stomach cancer. A high salt intake, including salted and salt preserved foods increase your risk of developing cancer in the stomach region.
Decrease the amount of salt
It takes a solid dose of salt before it gets lethal, yet it is not impossible. However, this amount is high enough for most of us not to accidentally reach it. Yet, eating too much salt has a negative impact on our health. A tip is to avoid semi-finished products and processed food, and to make more of your food from scratch. Eat natural foods and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as reducing the amount of red meat in your diet.
Too much salt makes you bloated
Excessive amounts of salt often cause you to get bloated. Salt binds water to your body and by decreasing the amount of salt in your diet, you may get rid of the bloating stomach. If you’re salt intake isn’t too high and you still find yourself bloated, the reason might be something else. Vita Woman is a dietary supplement especially developed for women. It contains several effective ingredients to contradict bloating. In addition, it holds active ingredients that will help you overcome PMS related symptoms and plagues. Read more about Vita Woman here.