2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Health organizations often warn us about the dangers of salt, which we all consume so often. This is due to the claim that high salt intake causes a number of health problems, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
However, dozens of studies have not provided convincing evidence to support this thesis. What's more - many studies actually show that nutrition too little salt can be harmful.
This article discusses in detail salt and its health consequences.
What is salt?
Salt is also called sodium chloride (NaCl). It consists of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Salt is the largest dietary source of sodium, and the words "salt" and "sodium" are often used interchangeably. Some salts may contain traces of calcium, potassium, iron and zinc. Iodine is often added to salt.
The main minerals in salt act as important electrolytes in the body. They help with fluid balance, nerve transmission and muscle function.
Salt has always been used to preserve and preserve food. Larger amounts of salt can inhibit the growth of bacteria that spoil food.
Salt is collected in two main ways: from salt mines and by evaporating seawater or other mineral-rich water.
In fact, there are many types of salt. Common varieties include common salt, Himalayan rose salt and sea salt. Different types of salt can vary in taste, texture and color. In case you are wondering which type is the healthiest, the truth is that they are all quite similar.
How does salt affect heart health?
It is recommended to reduce sodium in the menu. It is also important not to consume more than 2300 mg of sodium per day, preferably even less. This is about 1 teaspoon or 6 grams of salt, of which 40% is sodium.
Massive people consume much more than the recommended daily intake. Eating too much salt increases blood pressure, thus increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, there are some serious doubts about the true benefits of sodium restriction.
It is true that reducing salt intake can lower blood pressure, especially in people with a condition called salt-sensitive hypertension.
A 2013 study found that in people with normal blood pressure, limiting salt intake reduced systolic blood pressure by only 2.42 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by only 1.00 mmHg (9). It's like going from 130/75 mmHg to 128/74 mmHg. These are not exactly the impressive results you hope to get from a delicious diet.
Moreover, some studies have found no evidence that limiting salt intake will reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke or death.
Low salt intake can be harmful
There is some evidence to suggest that a low-salt diet may be straightforward harmful.
Adverse health effects from reduced salt consumption include:
• Elevated LDL cholesterol and triglycerides: salt restriction is associated with elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides;
• Heart disease: several studies have shown that less than 3,000 mg of sodium per day is associated with an increased risk of death from heart disease;
• Heart failure: an analysis found that limiting salt intake increased the risk of death for people with heart failure. The effect is stunning, with a 160% higher risk of death in people who reduce salt intake;
• Insulin resistance: Some studies have reported that a low-salt diet can increase insulin resistance.
• Type 2 diabetes: A study found that less sodium was associated with an increased risk of death in patients with type 2 diabetes.
High salt intake is associated with stomach cancer
Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world. It is the third leading cause of cancer death in the world and causes more than 700,000 deaths each year. Several observational studies have linked diets to high salt consumption with an increased risk of stomach cancer. A massive article on salt from 2012 examined data from 7 prospective studies involving a total of 268,718 participants. It has been found that people with high salt intake have a 68% higher risk of stomach cancer than those with low salt intake.
Exactly how or why this happens is not well explained, but there are several theories:
• Bacterial growth: High salt intake may increase the growth of Helicobacter pylori - a bacterium that can cause inflammation and stomach ulcers. This can increase the risk of stomach cancer;
• Gastric mucosal effects: A diet high in salt can damage and inflame the gastric mucosa, exposing it to carcinogens.
Keep in mind, however, that these are observations. They cannot prove that high salt intake causes stomach cancer, but only both
are strongly related.
Which foods are high in salt / sodium?
Most salts in the modern diet come from food from restaurants or packaged, processed foods. In fact, it is estimated that about 75% of the salt in the diet comes from processed foods. Only 25% of the intake is obtained naturally in food or is added during cooking.
Salted snacks, canned and instant soups, processed meats, sauces and soy sauces are examples of foods high in sodium.
There are also some seemingly unsalted foods that actually contain surprisingly large amounts of salt, including bread, cottage cheese, and some cereals.
If you are trying to reduce the amount you take, food labels almost always list the sodium content.
Should you eat less salt?
If your doctor wants to limit salt intake, it is definitely good to do it, observe and defend it. However, if you are a healthy person who eats mostly moderate amounts of salt - moderately salty foods, then you probably do not need to worry. In this case, you can feel free to add salt during cooking or at the table to improve the taste.
As often happens in nutrition, the optimal intake is somewhere between the two extremes.
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