4 signs that you are eating too much salt

Who eats too much salt, opens the door to diseases such as high blood pressure and stroke? so the common opinion. The Germans love salt: women eat about 8.4 grams of it daily, in men it is about ten grams. The German Nutrition Society recommends a maximum daily dose of six grams.

Is too much salt harmful?

Canadian researchers now contradict the constant warnings about salt consumption. According to her study is too much salt on the one hand not as harmful as assumed, Second, it could even help protect the heart and blood vessels. Andrew Mente and his colleagues analyzed the data of 95,767 participants aged 35 to 70 from 18 countries for their study. The result: salt is only problematic if you consume more than 12.5 grams per day? mainly Chinese were affected.



Sodium as the cause

According to the study data, this large amount of salt sodium chloride actually caused high blood pressure and strokes in the subjects.

At the same time, researchers also found evidence that salt intake below 12 grams daily could lead to fewer heart attacks and a lower mortality rate ? Salt could even keep us healthy. However, the Canadian scientists point out that this is just an observational study? the proven effect can therefore not be traced back to the common salt or to the sodium.

How do I know if I should take a salt diet?

Often our bodies and minds show us whether we eat too much salt? and not just by high blood pressure or damaged kidneys. You should take these four signs seriously:



The food tastes bland

Just processed foods such as Finished products naturally have a high salt content? which gradually dulls our sense of taste for salty. If you eat many such foods, you will probably start sooner or later to properly salt even fresh food because you feel it is dull. So for the most part it is a habit to salt a lot. If you realize that you want to constantly salt your food, should you gradually reduce the salt intake? and watch out for hidden salt traps in your other diet.

You feel bloated, your joints swell

Salt binds water? and this water retention can have several effects:

  • You are taking
  • You feel bloated
  • Joints such as knuckles and ankles swell up

These symptoms are more likely to occur in middle age.



You have unexplained headaches

You have a headache all the time? and can not tell you where they come from? Then think about the next time you come to the complaints, if you have recently eaten a salty dish. Too much salt can cause the blood vessels in the brain to expand? which is a common trigger of headache. 

You have to go to the bathroom all the time

The older we get, the more often we have to go to the bathroom at night. A Japanese study from 2017 showed that increased salt intake, especially in older people, can increase urination even more. This leads to insomnia and constant fatigue. When the subjects reduced their salt intake by 25 percent, they were less likely to go to the bathroom at night.

By the way: To do something good for your body, you can also switch from table salt to sea salt. It contains more trace elements and minerals than normal salt.

VIDEO TIP: This is how eating healthy is fun

Salt Shakedown — How to Avoid Hidden Sodium at the Grocery Store (May 2024).



Salt, salt consumption, food, DGE