You must be well aware that the taste of food is incomplete without salt. It not only makes food delicious but is also essential for our body. The main component of salt is sodium, which helps in maintaining fluid balance in the body, improving nerve and muscle function, and controlling blood pressure. However, excessive salt intake can lead to many health problems. Eating too much salt can cause serious problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney problems, and bone weakness. Apart from this, it can imbalance the amount of water in the body, causing problems like water retention, swelling, and dehydration.

In today's time, due to excessive consumption of processed and junk food, the amount of salt in people's diets has increased. Especially the sodium hidden in packaged food, chips, sauces, namkeen, and canned foods can gradually harm our bodies. Therefore, it becomes important that we keep our daily salt intake balanced and avoid eating more sodium than necessary. Let us know what effect excessive salt intake has on the body and how to avoid the harm caused by it.

Increases the risk of heart disease

If you consume more salt than required every day, it increases the amount of sodium in the body, due to which the blood vessels start shrinking. This increases the possibility of increasing blood pressure, which can become a major cause of heart-related diseases. High blood pressure (hypertension) puts additional pressure on the heartbeat, increasing the risk of serious problems like heart attack and stroke.

Apart from this, eating more salt increases water retention in the body, which puts even more pressure on the heart. Consuming more salt for a long time can cause plaque to accumulate in the heart arteries, increasing the risk of coronary artery disease. Therefore, it is important to consume salt in a balanced amount for a healthy heart.

Effect on kidney

The kidney is an important part of our body, which works to filter the blood and remove excess sodium and water. But when you eat more salt than required, the kidney has to work harder. This increases the constant pressure on the kidney, which can affect its functionality over time. Eating more salt can disturb the water balance in the body due to excess sodium, which can cause swelling (edema) and high blood pressure in the body.

In addition, excessive salt intake can increase the deposition of calcium in the kidney, increasing the chances of kidney stone formation. If the habit of eating more salt persists for a long time, it can cause chronic kidney disease (CKD) and even kidney failure. Therefore, to keep the kidneys healthy, one should avoid excessive salt intake and consume fresh fruits, vegetables, and an adequate amount of water.

Bones can become weak.

Excessive consumption of salt also hurts bone health. When more sodium accumulates in the body, it causes more excretion of calcium through urine. That is, if you eat more salt, calcium starts coming out of the body, which weakens the bones. Calcium deficiency causes bone density to decrease, which increases the risk of problems like osteoporosis. Especially in women, especially after menopause, eating more salt can increase the chances of bone weakness and fractures.

If you want your bones to remain strong, consume salt in a balanced amount and include foods rich in calcium and vitamin D in your diet, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables, and nuts. Apart from this, regular exercise, yoga, and spending time in sunlight are also beneficial for bone health.

Increased risk of stomach problems

Consuming too much salt not only increases the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease, but it can also have a serious effect on your digestive system. When we eat excessive salt, it can damage the inner lining of the stomach (gastric mucosa), increasing the risk of gastric ulcers (peptic ulcers). Excessive consumption of salt-rich processed foods, pickles, packed snacks, and fast food can affect digestion and cause problems like heartburn, indigestion, acidity, and bloating. Apart from this, research has shown that eating too much salt can increase the activity of H. pylori bacteria (Helicobacter pylori) in the stomach, increasing the risk of gastric ulcers and even stomach cancer. Therefore, if you want your digestive system to remain healthy, consume a balanced amount of salt and include fiber-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and yogurt in your diet.

How much salt should be consumed?

According to experts, every person should consume 5 grams (less than 1 teaspoon) of salt daily. However, most people unknowingly consume much more salt than this amount, especially through processed food, fast food, and canned foods.

To control the amount of salt, keep these things in mind:

Use natural flavors – Use herbs and spices (such as turmeric, celery, cumin, coriander leaves, black pepper, cinnamon) instead of salt in food.

Avoid processed and packaged food – Chips, instant noodles, biscuits and other packaged snacks contain high amounts of hidden sodium.

Choose low-sodium products – Low-sodium options are also available in the market, which can be used.

Prefer homemade food – Outside food usually contains more salt, so give preference to fresh homemade food.

Stay hydrated – Drink enough water to flush out excess sodium in the body.

If you have high blood pressure, kidney problems or water retention, limit your salt intake further as advised by your doctor. You can avoid the harmful effects of salt by adopting a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

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