We sometimes visit the cardiologist's office complaining of ankle
swelling, swollen eyes, and so forth. He usually warns us not to
consume salt. We know that too much salt affects our blood pressure
and can cause heart disease. Researchers tell us that a stroke and
cardiac problems can cause premature death.
From bloodpressureuk.com: "If you eat too much salt, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. So, the more salt you eat, the higher your blood pressure. The higher your blood pressure, the greater the strain on your heart, arteries, kidneys and brain. This can lead to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and kidney disease."
From healthland.time.com: "The American Heart Association (AHA) links too much salt in the diet to a higher risk for heart disease, hypertension and stroke, and according to research presented at the AHA’s 2013 Scientific Sessions, excessive salt led to nearly 2.3 million heart-related deaths worldwide in 2010."
From self.com: Sodium causes the body to hold onto extra water (which is why salt makes you bloated, too). All that extra water in your body can put extra stress on your heart and blood vessels. "The heart has to pump harder to circulate any extra fluid in your body," Kristen F. Gradney, R.D., director of nutrition and metabolic services at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells SELF. When your heart's working overtime, your blood pressure rises.
However, we do need a certain amount of sodium for our bodies to function properly, so cutting it out entirely (as though that were even possible), is not an option.
Physiologically, sugar sadly has no benefits for us. But sodium is critical for our bodies. "It's a major component of a lot of integral systems in our body," Gradney explains. A mechanism in our cells, called the sodium-potassium pump, is necessary to transport chemicals into and out of cells, keep our nerves firing, and let our muscles function properly. "Without salt, those things can’t happen," Gradney adds. We also need it to keep the fluids in the body balanced, and it even aids in balancing some hormones.
"Inadequate sodium in your blood, called hyponatremia, can have serious health effects and can occur during intense exercise, severe vomiting or diarrhea," explains Lori Zanini, R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Headache, dizziness, confusion, and even seizure or coma can happen as a result. "However, hyponatremia caused by low sodium intake is quite rare in the American diet."
The only people who are ever at risk for getting too little sodium are extreme athletes or marathoners, if they lose a ton of salt through their sweat and rehydrate with plain, salt-less water. That's when sodium levels in the body can become dangerous, and it's important to take in extra sodium through electrolyte drinks. So, how much should you aim for each day?
There's a little controversy around the exact target number. The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend we limit our salt intake to 2,300 milligrams per day, explains Kim Larson, R.D., spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For context, 1 teaspoon already puts you at 2,000 milligrams. For groups at higher risk for heart disease—those over 50, blacks, or individuals with chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes—the recommendation is to stay within 1,500 milligrams per day.
Suggestions:
1. Morton Company makes a product called "Lite Salt" and contains
one-half the sodium of table salt and users cannot tell the
difference between that and regular salt. Try it -- and you'll like it!
2. From self.com: "Instead of simply cutting out salt from your meals, be sure to replace with flavor. I always encourage plenty of fresh herbs, seasonings, even fresh salsa or citrus to help add flavor to foods without skimping on flavor.
Another little trick? Salt food at the end of cooking. Even if recipes suggest adding salt before roasting veggies, or adding to the soup pot while it cooks, I wait until the end so I can taste the flavors and see how much really needs to be added. Chances are, not as much as you would have dumped in at the start."