CloudHospital

Last updated date: 11-Mar-2024

Originally Written in English

Dangers of salt in our diet. The effects of excessive salt in various diseases

  • CloudHospital

  • Dangers of Salt

  • Diet

  • General Health

Salt or sodium chloride is necessity in everyday life for the body to function properly. The human body requires a small amount of sodium to operate nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. However, excessive intake of salt in our diet increases blood pressure due to the holding of excess fluid in the body, which creates a high-pressure burden on the heart. Too much sodium consumption in your diet will increase the risk of stroke, high blood pressure, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and kidney stones, among other ailments. According to the American Heart Association, nine out of ten Americans consume copious amounts of salt which leads to numerous illnesses and diseases. While the daily recommended intake of salt is just 1,500 milligrams, the average American consumes more than twice the amount, which currently is about 3,400 milligrams per person per day. This excess of salt intake causes many problems in society. Puffiness, weight gain and bloating are physical signs that you might be consuming too much salt. The economic cost and life quality decrease is a huge issue that needs to be solved.

Here are some of the common signs that you might be consuming too much salt in your diet:

Frequent urination

Frequent urination is a classic sign that you are consuming too much salt. Most of the time, you may feel an urgent need to wake up in the middle of the night to urinate. However, it is a symptom of many other conditions like UTIs, type 2 diabetes and an overactive bladder. Take a test be sure of what exactly the root cause is. Nevertheless, consuming too much salt could be a reason for it.

Constant thirst.