Too much salt is unhealthy, but without it you can even die. In addition, this gives white spice More pizzazz to almost every meal.
How much salt a day is healthy? How do you know if your salt consumption is too high? And what are the consequences of consuming too much salt?
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Underestimated danger of salt
Many people underestimate the risk posed by salt. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, negatively affect the immune system, impair bone health and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
In addition, the kidneys are put under a lot of strain because they have to remove the excess salt and the intestinal flora can also be disrupted by too much salt.
But you shouldn’t give up salt completely, because when consumed in moderation, it is essential for people’s survival. Salt regulates water balance and is important for digestion and muscles. The consequences of a salt deficiency, known as hyponatremia, range from headaches, nausea, apathy to seizures.
Why does the body need salt?
Table salt contains sodium, chloride and potassium. The body needs these electrolytes to maintain water and electrolyte balance and to ensure tissue tension.
Sodium and potassium play an important role in the function of nerves and muscles. The minerals enable the build-up of electrical voltage on the cell membranes and thus the transmission of nerve impulses. These in turn are important for muscle contractions, heart function and the regulation of blood pressure.
Chloride is a component of stomach acid and plays an important role in the production of proteins and glycogen.
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How much salt should there be?
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends adults eat six grams of salt daily. However, the average German is far above this recommendation, namely a full 10 grams. That is too much of a good thing.
The kidneys work at full speed to excrete the excess salt. A lot of water is lost in the process. If you don’t drink much, you can expect narrowing of your blood vessels, which in turn leads to high blood pressure. If the water balance is not replenished in a timely manner, vomiting and diarrhea often occur. In severe cases, a lack of water can even cause heart and breathing problems.
This is what happens with too much salt
- Constant thirst: After a salty meal, you quickly feel thirsty. The body urgently needs fluids to balance the water-salt balance. It is important to drink enough water.
- Puffy face: If you have a puffy face when you get up, it may be due to your salt consumption. Too much salt binds water in the body, which then collects in the cells. This is particularly noticeable around the eyes and cheeks.
- Increased weight: If you consume a lot of salt, you will notice that the number on the scale increases. However, this is not a matter of fat padding, but rather of water retention. Simply reduce your salt consumption to dissolve water retention.
- Impaired taste buds: If you always add salt to your food, you will always need more salt to enhance the flavor. The taste buds dull. This means that simple food like fresh vegetables quickly tastes bland. But don’t worry, if you forego the extra dose of salt for a while, you will return to a normal sense of taste.
- Headache: Headaches can have many causes, one of which is too much salt. Salt causes blood vessels to dilate, which can cause a stinging or throbbing sensation in the temples.
- Immune system: At a Experiment on mice Researchers fed one group with a high-salt diet and another with a low-salt diet. The result showed that mice on a low-salt diet had more immune cells and were better protected against diseases.
- Kidney stones: Too much salt and too little water can cause crystals to form in the urine. The salts build up on each other, which can cause painful kidney stones to form over time. If smaller kidney stones have already formed, drinking plenty of water and exercising will help flush out the stones. If that doesn’t help, you should urgently see a doctor.
- Bloated stomach: If you eat too much salt and don’t balance your fluid balance with enough water, you can expect a bloated stomach. The excess sodium disrupts the fluid balance. Water enters the cells and causes a bulging abdomen.
- Sleep disorders: Too much salt can lead to restless sleep, frequent awakenings during the night and consequently a feeling of restlessness in the morning. This can especially happen if you eat too much salt in the evening.
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The danger of hidden salt
A diet with too much salt is less about the salt that is added during cooking and more about the salt that is in processed foods. Processed foods like sausage and pizza contain a lot more salt than you would think.
According to the Consumer advice center 100 grams of salmon ham already contain over 6 grams of salt – i.e. the recommended daily ration.
If you want to eat less salt, try to cook as fresh food as possible and avoid ready-made meals.
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author
Mathilda Trausch, online editorial team
source
Jobin, Katarzyna et al. (2020): A high-salt diet compromises antibacterial neutrophil responses through hormonal perturbation, accessed on November 19, 2024: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aay3850
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