Who’s at high risk of developing health problems related to salt consumption?
• People over age 50
• People who have high or slightly elevated blood pressure
• People who have diabetes
• African Americans
What happens to my body if I eat too much sodium?
In most people, the kidneys have trouble keeping up with the excess sodium in the bloodstream. As sodium accumulates, the body holds onto water to dilute the sodium. This increases both the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Increased blood volume means more work for the heart and more pressure on blood vessels. Over time, the extra work and pressure can stiffen blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. It can also lead to heart failure.
The importance of potassium
Sodium and potassium have opposite effects on heart health:
High salt intake increases blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, while high potassium intake can help relax blood vessels and excrete the sodium and decrease blood pressure.
A recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine provides more evidence that high salt diets have negative effects on health, and found that:
• People who eat high sodium, low potassium diets have a higher risk of dying a heart attack or from any cause.
• People can make a key dietary change to help lower their risk: Eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, which are naturally high in potassium and low in sodium—and eat less bread, cheese, and processed meat, as these and other processed foods are high in sodium and low in potassium.
• Cardiovascular disease
• Besides contributing to high blood pressure, consuming high amounts of sodium can also lead to stroke, heart disease, and heart failure.
• Research also shows that reducing sodium lowers cardiovascular disease and death rates over the long term.
Other diseases: Cancer, Osteoporosis
Source: Harvard T.H. Chan
School of public health
Online
