Salt is essential to bodies because the high salt such as Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt contains trace minerals. However, the salt comes in various brands, types, origins, and quality.
According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people consume too much salt. The amount of salt is 3500 mg of sodium per person. It means that limits are overturned to the side where heart disease risks are increased.
The recommendation from Dietary Guidelines is 2300 mg per person. You see that the amount is almost twice more considerable.
Do We Add By Ourselves Too Much Of Salt?
We do not need to blame salt shaker. Plenty of sodium hides in processed food. If you check labels before buying, you would see that sodium takes a substantial amount as the constituent.
Why Does Sodium Harm Us?
Sodium, by itself, is not poison. We harm ourselves when using whitened salt without minerals consuming too much of it.
How Does Sodium Affect Our Bodies?
According to health professionals, the consumption of sodium, using 2300 mg per day, could lower blood pressure. Consumer Reports cite Andreas Kalogeropoulos, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor at Stony Brook University School of Medicine. He tells that people who would change sodium intake from high to moderate will see improvement in cardiovascular health.
The high amount of sodium affects kidneys. When is too much sodium in our food, the salt reaches the blood where it is stored? This situation increases water retention and blood volume.
Consequences are not pleasant for the heart because it needs to pump harder the blood. The blood pressure increases, arteries are pressed and stiffened.
Besides, people do not drink plenty of water. Most of Americans use soda drinks where sugar plays the role of the bad guy.
Ways To Decrease Sodium Intake
- Start by using less sodium. Taste buds will adapt slowly. Think about children who do not know what it is salt. They started to like it when processed foods were introduced to them.
- Read labels on the packaged food. Nobody wants to poison you. The salted food stays longer on shelves. It is your responsibility to think about your health.
- Cook at home as much as possible. You can make dishes for a couple of days and bring some of them for lunch at work. In this way, you will escape temptation reach for potato chips or donuts. Homemade food consists of products chosen by you. You will save money cooking at home. The taste will be different. You will add spices, not just salt. In this way, the consumption of salt will decrease gradually.
Conclusion
Everything is possible when we start to take care of ourselves. Heart diseases are no joke. Consuming significant amounts of sodium, hidden in processed food can hurt us in a long way. Using the methods mentioned above, you can adapt to the new taste and improve your health.
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