Salt in your diet (2024)

FAQs

Salt in your diet? ›

Know Your Numbers

The good news is that cutting down on sodium can help lower your blood pressure and keep your heart healthy. Use these tips to help lower the amount of sodium in your diet. Try making just 1 or 2 changes at a time.

Is salt healthy or unhealthy? Salt is essential for your body to function correctly, and it's essential for good health. However, eating too much or too little salt can be harmful and unhealthy. As with most other nutrients and foods, eating a balanced diet is key.

Most of the sodium in our diet comes from salt that has been added to the food we eat. Most Americans consume more than twice the recommended daily amount of salt. Too much salt increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Decreasing sodium intake could prevent many deaths.

Salt loss (hyponatremia)

Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the sodium in your blood falls below the normal range of 135–145 mEq/L. In severe cases, low sodium levels in the body can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. Eventually, lack of salt can lead to shock, coma and death.

For years, salt has been Public Enemy Number 1 when it comes to blood pressure. But what if salt isn't the main culprit? Framed by another common ingredient? It turns out sugar could be the biggest cause of high blood pressure.

No caffeine – Caffeine is also a diuretic. In fact, drinking 4 cups of coffee can cause you to lose 1200 mg of sodium – that's your entire daily recommended sodium intake lost all in one go! Go caffeine-free during the heat if you can.

What disease is caused by lack of salt? ›

In acute hyponatremia, sodium levels drop rapidly — resulting in potentially dangerous effects, such as rapid brain swelling, which can result in a coma and death. Premenopausal women appear to be at the greatest risk of hyponatremia-related brain damage.

Neurons and the brain don't function optimally when we don't consume enough sodium, which presents as confusion, lack of coordination, dizziness, and cognitive impairment. Extremely low sodium, such as in hyponatraemia, can cause the nervous system to shut down.

Researchers are still debating the exact cause, but some think eating salty food causes you to feel good. This happens because salt induces your hypothalamus to release dopamine. Other experts say that since salt is required to live, your brain learns to crave salt as a life-protective reaction.

"And when you're holding on to more sodium, your body tries to dilute it with water — increasing your blood volume and causing you to retain fluid." Hence the excessive thirst, bloating and blood pressure rise. And if you're frequently consuming excess salt, this process strains your heart, blood vessels and kidneys.

Hypernatremia involves dehydration, which can have many causes, including not drinking enough fluids, diarrhea, kidney dysfunction, and taking diuretics. Mainly, people are thirsty, and if hypernatremia worsens, they may become confused or have muscle twitches and seizures.

Early on, the intoxicant will cause a strong feeling of thirst, followed by weakness, nausea, and loss of appetite. More severe symptoms ensue, including confusion, muscle twitching, and bleeding in or around the brain. Death results by the swelling of the brain against the skull.

Sodium is essential for many body functions, but too much of it can be problematic and cause serious health concerns. If you're feeling bloated, puffy or like you've eaten too much salt, try increasing your water intake, adding more potassium to your daily diet, increasing physical activity and reducing added salt.