Eating too much salt, this is the result – Jakarta – Food without salt will taste bland and less delicious. That’s why many people like to add salt to increase the deliciousness of the food they eat. Apart from being a flavor enhancer, salt also contains sodium which has an important role for human health. However, consuming too much salt is also not good for health. Find out what the consequences of eating too much salt are here.
Table salt, which is often used in almost every dish, actually contains two important elements for the body, namely sodium (sodium) and chloride. Sodium is needed to maintain body functions and fluid balance in the body, help nerves and muscles work, and control blood pressure and volume. Meanwhile, chloride helps the body digest any food consumed.
As a seasoning, salt is also liked by many people. In fact, there are some people who really like salty food, so they tend to add large amounts of salt. Actually, why do so many people like salt so much? A study found that the brain responds to sodium in salt the same as nicotine , so it can cause addictive effects.
However, you are advised to limit your daily salt consumption. The reason is that the beneficial elements of salt that were previously mentioned can actually harm the body if consumed too much. The following are the consequences if you eat too much salt:
1. Increased risk of heart disease
Excessive salt consumption has often been linked to high blood pressure or hypertension. This condition is of course a risk of heart disease. For some people who are sensitive to sodium, consuming high amounts of sodium can cause fluid retention (edema) and increase blood pressure. This condition puts them at greater risk of stroke , heart disease and kidney disease. Every time your blood pressure rises, your heart has to work harder. This can cause damage to the blood vessels and heart muscle itself.
2. Risk of Vascular Dementia Increases
Not only does it increase the risk of stroke, high salt intake can also increase the risk of vascular dementia. Dementia is a condition of decreased brain function that affects memory, thinking, language, judgment and behavior. Vascular dementia can occur due to blocked blood vessels in the brain. About one in three people who have a stroke also have vascular dementia.
3. Thinning bone mass
It is believed by some experts that too high levels of calcium excreted in the urine can thin bones. In fact, several studies have found that table salt can cause bones to lose calcium, making them weaker. Over time, excessive calcium loss can also increase the risk of osteoporosis, especially in women who have entered menopause.
4. Impaired Kidney Function
As previously mentioned, salt has an important role in maintaining fluid balance in the body. Salt can signal to the kidneys when to retain water and when to eliminate water. However, excessive salt consumption can actually disrupt this function.
If you eat too much salt, your kidneys will absorb more water (retention), causing blood volume to increase. The symptoms that will arise are edema which is characterized by swelling, especially in the hands, arms, feet and ankles.
5. Stomach Cancer
A 1996 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that deaths from stomach cancer in men and women were closely related to excessive salt consumption. Apart from that, high salt intake is also associated with other stomach ailments such as stomach ulcers.
Knowing that there are many bad effects that can occur from eating too much salt, you are advised to limit your salt consumption to at least 5 grams or the equivalent of one teaspoon per day.
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