13/11/2013
SALT FREE SUNDAY
Salt, scientifically known as sodium chloride, is a mineral essential to life, according to the National Institute of Health. In the human body, sodium controls the volume of body fluid, helps to maintain electrolyte balance, and is an integral part of proper nerve and muscle function. Although sodium is necessary to sustain human life, consuming too much or too little salt can have negative health side effects.
Overview
Too Much Salt
The over consumption of salt is becoming increasingly common in the today’s diet, by consumption of junk food. The most well-known side effect of too much salt is hypertension, or high blood pressure. An excess of salt causes blood vessels to constrict, which is dangerous because the heart is required to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Prolonged hypertension increases the risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney disease. Another side effect of too much salt is edema, a swelling of the body, usually seen in the hands and legs. Edema occurs when the body retains an excess of fluid in an attempt to balance out the extra sodium.
Too Little Salt
Although not as common, too little salt also can have negative health side effects. That condition, called hyponatremia, is most often caused by the use of diuretics or severe diarrhea or vomiting. In less common occurrences, hyponatremia can be caused by not eating enough salt, excreting too much sodium through prolonged exercise (such as marathon running), or drinking too much water.
Recommendations
The USDA sets the dietary guideline for salt for the average person at no more than 2,300 mg, or 1 tsp., per day. That recommendation decreases for those with existing heart problems or high blood pressure. An individual will either be put on a 1,000 mg, 2,000 mg or “NAS” ("no added salt") diet, depending on his or her specific condition. The USDA also recommends that African Americans, people with hypertension and older Americans, who all have a higher risk of hypertension, keep their sodium consumption to 1,500 mg or less per day.
Short Term Changes
Too much salt intake will increase the fluid in blood vessels, which raises the blood pressure. It will trigger the brain to increase thirst to balance the increased salt by diluting it in the body. In addition, the kidneys will attempt to rid the body of excess salt through the urine.
Long Term Changes
Over the long-term, the elevated blood pressure will cause the heart to become larger. An enlarged heart is not as effective at pumping blood, and is a form of heart disease. Decreased blood supply to the kidneys causes them to release hormones that signal the body to retain even more salt and water in an attempt to increase the delivery of blood to the kidneys. Unfortunately, this ends up being counterproductive by increasing the strain on the heart. The body becomes salt- and fluid-overloaded, a condition called congestive heart failure.
Top 10 Foods Highest in Sodium
#1: Table salt, baking soda, and baking powder
#2: Powdered Broths, Soups, and Gravies
#3: Soy Sauce, Other Sauces, and Salad Dressings
#4: Yeast Extract Spread
#6: Sun Dried Tomatoes
#7: Cheese
#8: Snack Foods (Cheese Puffs, and Popcorn)
#9: Pickled Foods
#10: Marinated foods
** It’s advisable to read the Ingredients/Nutritional Facts before buying a product, high sodium level foods should be strictly avoided.
# # “Salt Free Sunday” is a health awareness initiative by Nexgenn Group.
Kindly write to us to know about our salt free Sunday recipes’ at your doorstep.
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