We all like food with salt, since adding a little of this seasoning makes our dishes taste even better. However, when it is consumed in excess and the necessary limits are not set, high levels of sodium can cause severe damage to our body such as suffering from hypertension, in addition to other diseases.
If you are one of the people who consume excess salt and do not have knowledge of what they do to your body, you should take these six points into consideration.
What problems can salt bring to your body?
1. Experience bloating
If you eat an entire week of unhealthy, high-sodium food, your eyes, lips, and cheeks will likely swell. This swelling is known as edema , although it is not serious. This is also reflected in the hands, ankles and legs. To avoid this, drink a lot of water and try to reduce your salt intake.
2. Dehydration
It’s easy to forget to balance all your sodium intake with water. And when this happens, your system will take the water out of the cells. If you experience dehydration you may have nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Remember to constantly hydrate yourself.
3. Kidney damage
Too much sodium can cause swelling and edema, in addition to causing kidney stones in your body. Imbalances can even lead to kidney disease.
4. Hardening of arteries
In a study that was conducted in 2011, it was analyzed that blood flow is affected by salt. It was found that after just half an hour of consuming a high sodium meal, blood flow was significantly affected.
5. Problems with blood pressure
Consuming salt for long periods of time and in excess can cause problems with blood pressure, since fluid retention causes inflammation, which is responsible for high blood pressure . All the salt that is consumed without limits causes the heart to suffer, since it cannot obtain enough oxygen, in addition to the nutrients it needs.
Therefore, be sure to go to the doctor to see how your salt levels are in your body and thus avoid problems.
References
- Alexa Erickson, 6 Ways Too Much Salt Hurts Your Body. For Bodyrock [Revised December 2015]
