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Did you know that too much salt can be as bas as too much sugar? The problem isn't merely the excessive number of nights spent sitting on the couch eating chips and watching television. Almost every American exceeds their daily salt quota.
A versatile seasoning and food preservative, salt adds flavor and lengthens the shelf life of many foods. Salt is made up of about 60% chloride and 40% sodium. It's necessary for proper muscle relaxation and contraction, nerve impulse conduction, and mineral and water balance. Although salt serves many important purposes, consuming too much salt can have negative consequences.
In this article, we will contrast the long-term effects of a salt-rich diet with the immediate effects of having too much salt in one sitting or over the course of a day.
Short term effects of too much salt
There are some immediate effects of consuming too much salt in one sitting or throughout the day:
1) Retaining water
Feeling somewhat swollen and bloated is one of the most noticeable effects of too much salt.
It occurs due to the kidneys' penchant to keep a constant ratio of sodium to water in the body. They accomplish that by retaining additional water to make up for the salt you consume.
Swelling, especially of the hands and feet, may result from this increased water retention, and your bodyweight may rise as a result.
2) Intense thirst
You may experience dry mouth and extreme thirst after consuming too much salt. Why that happens has been explained in the above point.
When you drink more water, you may have to go to the bathroom more frequently. However, if you don't replenish your fluids after consuming a lot of salt, your sodium level could rise to dangerously high levels, a condition known as hypernatremia.
When your body has too much sodium, or hypernatremia, it may try to flush out the excess by pulling water from your cells and putting it into the bloodstream. Fluid shifts can cause brain fog, convulsions, coma, and even death, if not treated.
Hypernatremia can also cause agitation, trouble breathing or sleeping, and a decreased need to urinate.
3) Increase in blood pressure
Apart from increasing blood pressure, having a lot of salt can make the heart pump more blood through the arteries. A temporary increase in blood pressure is possible as a result of that.
However, these results may not be seen by everyone. There's evidence, for instance, that those with a higher salt tolerance may not see an increase in blood pressure in response to consuming foods high in sodium.
It's believed that a person's susceptibility to salt is affected by both genetics and hormones. The effects of high-salt diets on blood pressure may be magnified by age and obesity.
These factors may explain why not everyone experiences an increase in blood pressure in response to a salt-rich diet.
Long term effects of having too much salt
Listed below are the long-term effects of having too much salt:
1) Can increase stomach cancer risk
Studies have shown that having too much salt can increase chances of developing stomach cancer.
To what extent salt prevents stomach cancer is still a mystery. However, a high-salt diet has been linked to stomach cancer risk, as it can lead to ulcers and inflammation of the stomach lining.
2) Risk of heart disease and premature death
Some doubt remains about whether or not a diet high in salt contributes to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.
Numerous studies have linked excessive salt consumption to elevated blood pressure and arterial stiffening. It's possible that these alterations lead to an increase in incidence of cardiovascular diseases and early mortality.
There are those who believe that a high-salt diet has no effect on cardiovascular health and longevity. However, others reckon that a low-salt diet may increase risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
More research is needed, though, before definitive conclusions can be drawn about whether or not a high-salt diet increases risk of cardiovascular disease or premature death.
3) Can raise blood pressure
According to research, people who consume too much salt are more likely to experience high blood pressure, while those whose salt intake is low have lower blood pressure.
Moreover, it's believed that the magnitude of these effects is greatly amplified in salt-sensitive people compared to those who're not salt-sensitive. Consuming a diet high in salt can raise blood pressure, but the effects are thought to be exaggerated by obesity and advancing age.
There are many potential side effects of consuming too much salt. Possible short-term side effects include abdominal distention, increased thirst and slightly higher-than-normal blood pressure. Hypernatremia, if left untreated, can be fatal in extreme cases, though.
Long-term, consuming a diet high in salt can raise blood pressure and danger of developing stomach cancer, cardiovascular disease and premature death. To know for sure if these outcomes are universal, though, more research is required.
