Everyone has heard at least once in their life the recommendations for limiting salt. Doctors, nutritionists and concerned relatives often talk about the harms of excessive salt intake, but what is the mechanism by which large amounts of salt harm us?
Semi-finished products, packaged foods, fast food, appetizers, Chinese food and many foods are sources of huge amounts of salt. Nearly 2/3 of Europeans and over 90% of Americans consume about 8 grams of salt per day, which is above the recommended maximum amount of 6 grams of salt (they contain about 2300 mg of sodium).
The main problem with salt intake comes from the sodium it contains (sodium chloride - common salt). The human body needs sodium for almost all physiological functions and cannot survive without this element.
Too high sodium intake leads to severe tissue and functional disorders in the body. Sodium accumulates in the bloodstream and due to its chemical properties leads to the attraction of more water in the blood vessels - thus maintaining the overall salt balance of the blood. The greater amount of water leads to an increase in pressure in the blood vessels, which leads to hypertension - pathologically elevated blood pressure.
Over time, high blood pressure exerted on the walls of blood vessels leads to stretching , loss of elasticity and damage to their structure . These factors allow the accumulation of fat, platelets and other debris on the damaged walls of blood vessels - they develop deposits known as plaques .
These plaques narrow the blood vessels and make it harder for blood to flow, which means that the heart begins to work even harder to compensate for the delay. The extraordinary work of the heart muscle determines its faster wear and the predisposition to cardiovascular diseases in people suffering from hypertension.
Excessive salt intake also impairs kidney function , as the filter organ is severely inhibited by the processing of excess sodium.
High blood pressure damages the walls of blood vessels and the brain, causing or accelerating the development of a number of problems ranging from strokes to dementia .
Sexual dysfunction ( impotence ), loss of bone density and vision impairment are also common problems caused by taking more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. If hypertension is already present, sodium intake should be limited even more, to a maximum of 1800 mg daily.
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