“Can you pass me the
salt, please?” How often do you hear yourself or others around you say this
phrase? No matter if it is a business lunch with your colleagues or a family
occasion (especially the ones featuring the delicious jollof rice!) or a dinner
date, we feel the urge to spice up our meals with salt. Some cannot have their
food without it. It just seems tasteless without some salt, don’t you agree? Let
us go a few steps down the history lane about salt.
Salt has been an essential
element of human and animal diets for centuries. It even served as a currency
in many countries. In the middle ages, it was sometimes called “white gold”
because it was incredibly expensive. It has been an important part of life as
it is present in literature and culture of many nations as it is still a
tradition to greet guests with bread and salt in many countries.
Today, there are about
14,000 uses of it and food, industry and medicine are the best known ones. At this
junction, you may ask yourself that if salt is so important and has been around
for centuries, how could it do you any bad. Well, there is one thing you can be
sure of. Salt can be very dangerous for your health when you have too much of
it. How would you know this? How much is too much? We would answer this
question later on this page but here is a list of some signs clearly showing
that you could be eating too much of salt.
1. You are always thirsty. Humans cannot
survive without water. We all know it. However, if your mouth feels as dry as a
Sahara desert and you crave water all the time, chances are you are consuming
too much salt. Salt consist of about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Sodium, when
in large amounts, takes water from your cells. Your brain thirst center gets
this signal and will do everything possible to help your body restore the balance
of fluids. You can also help it especially on those days you eat foods super
rich in sodium such as chips, pepperoni pizza and other junk foods by making
sure you drink a lot of water. It is best to do this before your meal and even
better to start your day with it instead of coffee or juice. One more important
thing to note is that constant thirst may also be a sign of diabetes, so
consult your doctor just to be sure.
2. Frequent visits to the bathroom. You would
find this connected to our previous point. The more water you drink, the more
often you need to go to the bathroom. You might find it very inconvenient to
rush or look for a toilet when you are out of your usual environment all the
time. It is equally frustrating when it interrupts your sleep and also, bad for
your health because excess urinating can lead to loss of vital nutrients such
as calcium. When calcium levels reduce, the body takes it from somewhere else,
preferably the bones, making you run at a high risk of developing osteoporosis.
Frequent urination is also a symptom of Type 2 diabetes, so if you experience
such, it is best to consult your doctor.
3. You crave unhealthy food. Have you ever
noticed how much salt you add to your meals a lot? It is just because the food
tastes plain or has no taste at all to you. When you do not have the time to
cook properly, you tend to go for easy-to-prepare meals like pizza, sandwiches,
bacon, sausages, ham and canned soups. What about broccoli, lettuce, and
carrots? No, thanks. Hmm. If you find yourself losing interest in healthy foods
or would only agree to eat them spiced up by a good amount of salt, then you
might be on your way to becoming a salt addict. Next stage, you will not be
able to eat unsalted food at all because why eat something that gives you no
joy? You are not alone. People who eat too much salt basically have their taste
buds turned off. You can try to spice up your meals with strong tasting spices
and herbs such as black pepper, ginger, rosemary, etc. It is better to use the
organic ones but if you cannot easily access this, you can shop for the
pre-packaged ones and check the product labels for their nutritional
information to avoid those containing over 0.03oz (0.85g) of salt per 3.5oz
(99g) of food. Also, cook from scratch whenever you can and add vegetables to
your meals. That is how you control the amount of salt in your meals.
4. Muscle cramps. How often do you have
muscle cramps? If your answer is ‘too often’ or ‘everyday’ and you are not an
elderly person or an athlete, then salt might be to blame. Salt consist of
sodium and chloride, as stated above. Sodium and calcium helps with muscle
contraction. Potassium, as essential mineral salt, helps your muscles to relax.
When the sodium/potassium balance is altered with excessive sodium intake, your
muscle respond with cramps as they become sore.
5. Frequent fatigue and headaches. You probably
would not have guessed this but too much salt can bring you headaches and
fatigue. This does not mean you would immediately fall asleep after a bag of
salty chips but overeating salt leads to dehydration which could be the reason
for those headaches and fatigue. So, put your salt shaker down and have some
natural healthy foods rich in potassium such as avocados, tomatoes, bananas,
asparagus, etc. that can help you restore the balance.
6. Painful kidneys. Kidneys are our body’s
powerful chemical factories. They remove waste products, balance fluid levels,
and control the red blood cells. When they are overworked, their productivity
can fail. A diet too rich in sodium can lead to kidney dysfunction. According the World Action on Salt and Health, eating too much salt can lead to an increase
in the amount of protein in your urine, making it a big risk factor for kidney
diseases. There is also an increased risk of developing kidney stones. If your
kidney feel painful, please consult your doctor or a dietitian who would most
likely place you on a low sodium diet.
7. High blood pressure. It has been said
to check your blood pressure regularly to keep your health under control but
why should you find this important? It is a good idea if you are eating a lot of
salt. American Heart Association has shown that a normal blood pressure is
considered to be 130-110mmHg over 90-70mmHg with an average of 120mmHg over
80mmHg. If the pressure exceeds these values, it can lead to serious
consequences such as cardiovascular diseases or a worsening of cognitive
functions. The excess sodium holds more fluid in the body making the heart work
harder to pump blood throughout the body. You can help your heart by following
a low sodium diet inclusive of heart friendly foods such as nuts, oatmeal,
beans, etc.
8. Body swellings. Puffiness under the
eyes can be a sign of excess salt intake as your body is trying to balance it
and has to hold the resulting excess water somewhere. Other ‘storage’ places
include your ankles and legs if you have not been on your feet all day. The fingers
and the whole hand could also be affected. This condition is known as edema. Edema
could be a symptom of a more serious disease or a sign you have to cut back on
your salt intake.
9. Inability to think straight. The final
and probably the least expected point on our list. Who could imagine salt can
somehow affect your brain functions? A 2011 Canadian study on 1,200 adults has
found a connection between salt overdose and brain productivity. Those who had
more sodium in their diet expressed a higher chance of cognitive decline than
those who ate just the right amount of sodium. It is especially important to
track the amount of salt you consume as you grow older. Dehydration and extra
sodium in your body can make you foggy and get you confused, hence the
importance to control your diet.
To answer the question ‘How
much is too much?” stated previously on this page. 1500mg of sodium is your
healthy limit. That is ¾ teaspoon of salt. You can endeavor to limit your salt
consumption to this number.
We hope you found this
information useful and will change your diet if you see any of the signs
mentioned above. You can share some of your experiences in the comments section
below and watch out for more tips on living a healthy lifestyle.
Cheers!
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