Salt, the universal intensifier of taste in foods, has got a pretty bad repute when it comes to health benefits. What are the effects of eating too much salt? Many experts, in the past, have likened salt with POISON and tried to scare the hell out of salt lovers…
So much so that some US politicians following the expert advice even tried banning salt in restaurants back in 2010, holding salt responsible for a laundry list of bad health conditions creating many effects of eating too much salt.
However, luckily, the ban never got into the effects of eating too much salt.
Now, the question is: is salt really ‘the bad guy’ that we need laws to keep out of public reach to mitigate the effects of eating too much salt.
Well, you’re going to find it all out below about the effects of eating too much salt. Read through and decide for yourself…if eating too much salt is unhealthy for you.
You Can’t Live Without Salt!
That’s a fact.
Salt is essential for our body to function well in balance and harmony.
Basically, salt is a combination of sodium and chloride in the ratio of 40:60 and both the elements have got a lot to contribute to our body and actually have positive effects. However, that is when you are eating salt in moderation and not overeating salt.
Sodium helps our muscles to contract, maintain fluid balance, send nerve signals and regulate blood pressure.
While, chloride is good for digestion and ensures a happier and healthier gut.
So, you can’t walk out on salt altogether (and why would you?) to mitigate the effects of overeating salt.
Because the 50-year-old ‘fallacy’ started by Lewis Dahl, that salt is the root of all health problems has been debunked quite a few times now.
Most modern scientists have rejected Dahl’s claims and agree that a reasonable salt intake is healthy actually and that overeating too much salt is not healthy, but moderation is healthy.
What’s the ONE Reasonable Intake?
There’s not one!
Health experts and nutritionists around the world have different things to say regarding the intake of salt…which makes it difficult to know eating too much salt.
Like the UK Reference Nutrient Intake recommends eating less than 6g of salt per day.
Whereas, the American Heart Association recommends taking no more than 2.3g (one teaspoon) of salt a day, while the ideal intake they feel is 1.5g ONLY.
Confusing, right?
Sending some more confusion your way… LOL.
The American Journal of Medicine recently found that sodium intake of less than 2.3g was linked to a 37% increase in mortality caused by cardiovascular problems and was one of the effects of eating too much salt.
Then what the heck is one supposed to do?
Read on…
The Answer to the Salt Mystery!
Keep all your anti-salt bias aside and listen…
The real issue is NOT how much salt you eat, it is what kind of foods you eat to avoid the side effects of eating too much salt.
For example, if you eat a healthy and balanced diet which is made up of whole foods you needn’t worry about how much salt goes into it. That means eating fresh, whole foods.
So, the crux lies in the quality of food that you eat not salt!
Read Also: Plants and Herbs for Healing
See…
The problem is processed foods are low in potassium and magnesium which are vital to our health with lots of side effects.
When we eat processed foods we take in large amounts of salt and the salt-potassium-magnesium equation goes out of balance.
And there begins the trouble which we blame on salt.
So long as you take plenty of fresh fruits, green vegs and real organic foods (and water), no worries. Salt is going to be your friend.
*unless, of course, you have a salt-related allergy or you’re salt-sensitive already!
And finally…
Effects of Eating too Much Salt
Fact: In the year 2020, about 53 MILLION metric tons of salt was consumed apparently in the US.
Well, it’s not just salt, over-consumption of anything has risks and side effects. Right?
So, people with high blood pressure, kidney problems, headaches, heart issues and hypertension are usually recommended low intake of salt because of the side effects of eating too much does impact these conditions.
Side effects of eating too much salt can cause hypernatremia – but only if you don’t ‘balance off’ salt with equal water intake.
Again, the quality of your diet matters a lot in determining the sort of impact salt will have on you.
And, lastly, salt is not the bad guy! Salt gets a bad wrap, but too much eating and eating the wrong type of salt can impact people’s health.
Just transition to a healthier diet and lifestyle and you’ll get along with salt pretty well!
—————————————————————————————————————————————-
Sources:
https://www.singlecare.com/blog/salt-good-or-bad-for-you/
https://splendidspoon.com/blog/why-salts-not-the-bad-guy-a37e8a32fbb8/
https://www.onmanorama.com/food/features/2019/10/09/salt-health-benefits-diseases-expert-study.html
https://transformationalnutrition.co.uk/is-salt-really-the-bad-guy
https://blog.redmond.life/blog/is-salt-really-bad-for-me
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/