Salt is an essential part of our food. It not only enhances the taste of food, but it is also beneficial for our body. Salt maintains water balance in the body and helps the muscles to function properly. However, just like everything has a limit, excessive consumption of salt can also prove harmful for you. In many cases, eating too much salt can even take your life. Scientists from the National Institute of Epidemiology of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have told some such things, which you may be shocked to know.
But before that, let us understand how much salt our body needs daily, and if we eat more salt than this, what bad effect it can have on our health. Eating too much salt is harmful for health. So it is important to pay attention to how much salt we are consuming, not just the kind. It is also important to understand that salt is not just found in home-cooked food, but many packaged and prepared products also contain high amounts of it. If these are consumed in excess, it can have a negative impact on health – even if you are reducing the amount of salt you add to your daily diet.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that a person should consume less than 5 grams of salt per day, which is approximately one teaspoon. A recent study has revealed that people in India are consuming much more salt than this recommended amount.
What has been discovered about salt?
According to scientists at ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology, excessive salt intake in India is fuelling a ‘hidden epidemic’. They say that consuming more salt is increasing the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension), stroke, heart disease and kidney problems. Studies have shown that Indians living in urban areas consume an average of 9.2 grams of salt daily, while in rural areas this amount is about 5.6 grams per day. These figures released by scientists are much more than the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
What is the benefit of eating less salt?
Experts say that eating more salt can increase the risk of many diseases, while its limited quantity can prevent these problems. Dr. Piyush Ranjan, Vice Chairperson of the Institute of Liver, Gastroenterology and Pancreatico-Biliary Sciences at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, told the BBC, “Constant salt intake is associated with high blood pressure (hypertension).” He said, “High blood pressure is a multisystemic disease in itself, that is, it affects many organs of the body. It has the greatest impact on the heart and kidneys.”
“Even in physiological conditions, when many types of diseases occur in the body, sodium retention i.e. accumulation of salt in the body starts increasing. It is the responsibility of the kidneys to maintain the balance of salt and water in the body.” He said, “Many medicines are given to control blood pressure, which are called diuretics. These medicines remove salt from the body through the kidneys, which keeps the blood pressure under control.”
“In cases like cardiac failure, kidney disease and liver cirrhosis, the amount of salt has to be limited as a treatment.” So, not only in case of illness, but also in general, limited intake of salt is beneficial to control blood pressure and protect the heart and kidneys.
What things should we avoid?
Eating too much salt at any age can increase blood pressure. Therefore, salt intake should be reduced as much as possible. It is especially important to avoid those things which contain hidden salt.
According to Dr. Piyush Ranjan, many common food items contain hidden salt-
- Pickles
- Papad
- Packaged food (namkeen, chips, sauces, ready-to-eat items)
- Processed food (sausages, noodles, ketchup, biscuits etc.)
The amount of salt in these products is much more than normal. Therefore, while buying them, definitely check the amount of sodium on the label and avoid or limit their consumption as much as possible.
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