For the body to function and stay healthy, it needs a certain amount of salt. sodium chloride regulates the body’s water balance and tissue tension and is essential for the excitability of muscles and nerves. It also participates in digestion and bone structure. But in excess salt becomes a cause of problems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that Do not consume more than 5 g of salt per day. But many of us eat much more than we need and the result is excess salt in the body.
The salt that we add in cooking and dressing it is an important part of the intake, and among the different types of salt it is advisable to choose a quality one, but we also take other quantities that go unnoticed through ultra-processed foods.
Know what those are foods with added salt that you don’t usually take into account can help you reduce your salt consumption, but also know some of the natural alternatives you have to intensify the flavorServe dishes without adding sodium, or reducing it, as in the case of an herbal salt. It is the next step once you have recognized the symptoms that warn you that you are consuming too much salt.
Added salt in many foods
The foods with more added salt They are cured cheeses, pickles and other preserves, prepared dishes and charcuterie. At the end of the day, on average, we Spaniards consume an average of 10 g of salt, double the recommended amount. Therefore, it is advisable to adopt a diet based on natural and unprocessed ingredients.
According to a study by the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN), the excess salt that we Spaniards consume through food comes, first of all, from meat products and is closely followed by bread, pre-cooked foods, cheeses and canned fish and seafood. Curiously, Dinner is the meal that contributes the most to daily sodium intake(30-37% of total intake), followed by breakfast (25-34%).
The consequences of excess salt in the body
If the body receives too much salt, the excess is excreted through the kidneys. The body also loses water in the process, which makes us feel thirsty. In the long term, if excess salt remains, The kidneys become overworked.
If you don’t drink enough, excess sodium causes a constriction of blood vessels which increases blood pressure. That is why one of the pieces of advice given to hypertensive people is, first, to reduce salt consumption.
If salt consumption is excessive, can be toxic. Sodium extracts water from cells, which represents physiological stress.
If water balance is not restored, diarrhea and vomiting occur. In severe cases, lack of water can cause heart and respiratory disorders or even death.
10 symptoms that you are taking too much salt
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These physical symptoms are an alarm signal, the body’s way of warning you that there is excess salt in your diet.
1. Constant thirst
If you have eaten salty foods your body will ask for water more frequently. It is essential to address this need because the body needs it for mineral balance outside and inside the cells. Likewise, excessive thirst can also be a sign of type 1 diabetes.
2. Swelling of the face
When you wake up in the morning, you may find that the area around your eyes and cheeks is swollen. Higher salt consumption the day before may be the reason for this. Excess salt causes fluid is retained between cells and the tissues literally swell.
3. The scale shows more weight
It is not always an excess of calories that makes you gain weight. Salt retains fluid and weighs it down, which can contribute to overweight.
But don’t panic: a day with little salt and a lot of water (yes, although it may seem paradoxical, because it is precisely about diluting the sodium) it will help eliminate excessive water retention.
4. Food tastes bland
Eating processed foods and prepared foods too often can dull our perception of salty taste. People who suffer from this often say that they find vegetables very tasteless.
It is important to consciously reduce the amount of salt added. Since the taste buds on the tongue are regularly renewed, they can get used to low-salt foods.
5. Constant headache
Headaches can be caused by excessive salt consumption. Typical signs are punctures and pressure in the temple area, since salt causes the blood vessels in the brain to dilate.
If you have this type of headache, it is important that you drink plenty of water.
6. Kidney stones
If the salt concentration in the urine increases and the kidneys are not flushed with enough water, crystals can form. The salts are deposited on top of each other in layers, so that kidney stones develop over time. Stones can be very painful.
It is important that you drink 1.5 to 2 liters a day, more if you exercise a lot or it is hot. This cleanses the kidneys and prevents waste from accumulating. If small kidney stones have already formed, it also helps to drink a lot and move to excrete them.
7. High blood pressure
An optimal blood pressure is 120/80. However, too much salt can cause high blood pressure in the long term as the vessels constrict and harden, meaning The heart has to pump faster and with more pressure.
If you already have high blood pressure, you should carefully monitor your salt intake and have regular checkups.
8. You are sick more often
In one experiment, researchers divided mice into two groups and fed them low-salt foods and others high-salt foods for a week. The mice were then infected with bacteria Listeria and E.coliwhich can be found in our food. Mice that were fed a low-salt diet they had more immune cells than mice fed a high-salt diet. In the group fed a high-salt diet, infections also lasted significantly longer.
This effect could be verified in a subsequent study on the effect of salt consumption on defenses in people.
9. Sleep disorders
Eating foods that are too salty can cause sleep disorders such as restless sleep, frequent awakenings, and restlessness in the morning when waking up. The most restless sleep occurs when a lot of salt is consumed at night, since high sodium content leads to increased blood pressure and fluid retention.
10. Hydroelectrolyte disorder
Hypernatremia means you have too much salt in your blood. This disrupts your body’s fluid and electrolyte balance. A doctor can determine this with a blood count.
If there is a strong excess of salt, edema may occur, It is the accumulation of water in certain places in the body tissue. In severe cases, it can even cause unconsciousness or an epileptic seizure.