Health risks associated with salt intake

Consuming salt or sodium chloride is the most important way to obtain the sodium that your body needs. Sodium is essential for life. It helps your organs to maintain a good fluid balance in your body, allows nerve cells to transmit impulses, supports contraction of your muscles and performs many other critical functions. But consuming too much sodium can have a negative effect on your health and your ability to avoid various chronic and potentially serious diseases.

Salt balance
Your body has different mechanisms to ensure that you maintain a good sodium concentration in your cells and tissues. When sodium is scarce, your sweat is diluted and your kidneys reduce urine output, keeping the sodium in your body. When you use too much sodium, your kidneys use water to make abundant, saline urine. But if your intake of sodium becomes too high, your kidneys can not excrete enough salt and your body will retain more water to dilute the extra sodium. This increases the amount of fluid around your cells and also your blood volume, increases your blood pressure and possibly causes health problems in the long term.

High bloodpressure
When the volume of your blood increases as a result of too much sodium, your blood will put more pressure on the walls of your blood vessels, causing your blood pressure to rise. Over time, the increased pressure can affect the vessel walls, stiffen and make them less elastic. When the blood volume is high and the arteries lose their elasticity, your heart works harder to move your blood through your bloodstream so that it can reach all your organs. High blood pressure, or hypertension, usually has no symptoms, so you can have the condition for years without knowing it. However, over time, hypertension can damage your heart and cause heart failure and strokes. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one in three adult Americans has high blood pressure and is at risk for cardiovascular problems.

Long-term effects
The relationship between too much salt intake and cardiovascular disease was confirmed in a large survey published in the "British Medical Journal" in 2009, in which more than 177,000 people were assessed for their salt intake and the incidence of heart disease and strokes. Those who consumed the most salt had a significantly higher incidence of these disorders than those who consumed less. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, high salt intake can also be linked to osteoporosis or thinning of the bones, because sodium retention can lead to calcium loss from the bones. Too much sodium can also increase your risk of stomach cancer.

recommendations
For most adults, the recommended daily intake of salt is 1 teaspoon or 2300 milligrams of sodium, but those who have high blood pressure or are at risk should consume only 1500 milligrams. The American Heart Association says that 97 percent of US adults and children consume more than this amount, which increases their risk of chronic diseases. To lower your sodium intake, replace the table salt with salt-free herbs or salt substitutes. Avoid processed and prepared dishes that are often too salty and use fresh food whenever possible. Limit your intake of sodium-rich herbs such as soy sauce and check food labels for sodium-containing ingredients such as baking powder, baking powder, disodium phosphate and monosodium glutamate or MSG. Look for products labeled low in sodium, unsalted or sodium lite.