When you eat too much salt, your body will send you warning signals to remind you it is time to control your salt intake.
1. Dry mouth
When you eat too much salt, the most direct feeling is a dry mouth, because the electrolyte balance of salt and water in the body is broken. In order to adjust this balance back to normal, the brain will send out thirst signals, so you have a strong desire to drink water.
2. Slowed reaction
Eating too much salt can lead to cell dehydration. When a person is dehydrated, the brain is affected, thus slowing your reaction and reducing focus.
3. Thicker fingers
If you are not gaining weight, but your fingers feel thicker, it is possible that you are eating too much salt. This can cause water retention and edema.
4. Headache
Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure and blood vessel pressure. This can cause cerebral edema, which is when the nerves are squeezed and results in a headache.
5. Urge to urinate
If you eat too much salt, your kidneys have to work harder to get rid of the extra sodium. This makes you want to go to the bathroom more often.
Watch out for these symptoms. If you eat too much salt, it is important to control your salt intake in order to avoid health problems.
Next, what exactly are the dangers of eating too much salt?
First, let’s be clear: excessive intake of salt (sodium chloride) may indeed pose certain threats to your health.
1. Increase the pressure on the kidneys
Sodium is mainly excreted by the kidneys after it enters the body. If you eat too much sodium, it can make the kidneys work harder. This can cause sodium and water retention, which makes the kidneys work even harder. Over time, this can make the kidneys overwhelmed and sick.
2. Blood pressure is likely to rise
If you eat too much salt, it may lead to high blood pressure. When you eat too much sodium, the number of sodium ions in your blood goes up. This makes the blood vessels more resistant to blood flow, which can cause water retention and an increase in blood pressure.
3. Accelerate calcium loss
If you eat too much salt over a long period of time, your body will get rid of sodium and calcium at the same time. This can lead to excessive calcium loss over time.
If not replenished in time, the sodium will stimulate the secretion of parathyroid hormone, disrupting the balance of bone metabolism, which can ultimately enhance the risk of osteoporosis in the future.
Therefore, controlling salt intake is still important for your health. But note: low salt does not mean your food will taste terrible. You can reduce the amount of salt you use in cooking by 5-10%, and it won’t affect the taste but will be good for your health.