7 signs that you eat too much salt and injure yourself

Salt is this: from the salt - that is sodium chloride - is not so easy to give up. And there is good reason for this. But reasons still to cut the amount of NaCl in their menu much more.

Layfhaker understand the origins of the human passion for solonenkomu and symptoms that clearly say that it is necessary to eat less.

Why we love salty

The answer to this question lies in the evolution. Each of us - a descendant of the person who has survived largely because he loved salt. And we, in fact, alive and well only because our body gets enough salt.

Blood is salty. This is a good example of how important salt.

sodium and chlorine ions play a key role in maintaining the water balance of the body and the muscle fibers. In addition, sodium ions are involved in the transmission of nervous impulses system. Deficiency of any of these two elements to catastrophic body: it results dehydration, An accelerated leaching from the body of essential trace elements, weakness, and as a result - a rather quick death.

Fortunately, humanity has long been no shortage of salt. However, it was not always. In Paleolithic times with table salt humanity was strained. With the exception of the sea coast, to produce sodium chloride it was not so simple: it contains, in particular, in the meat, so our ancient ancestors for essential ions had to run.

But the hunt - it's still all right. The situation worsened when the continents Russell deep humanity took a great interest in agriculture and diet has changed dramatically in the plant side. In vegetables, fruits, grains rich in potassium, but almost no sodium. It was then that our ancestors appreciated the taste of salt, because it has become the key to survival.

It continues to operate a simple evolutionary logic. Think salty delicious - so you will be healthy, alive and leave offspring, at the same time giving it the love of sodium chloride, and the habit of salting food. Think salty tasteless - do not leave anything. On the salt literally prayed. Thus, the Roman historian Tacitus spoke of Germanic pagans who worshiped the salt springs. Soldiers, Soldo, salary (Eng. "Salary"), even sweetness - all these words, linguists suggest derived from the root "salt".

Why you should eat less salt

Tens of thousands of years, mankind was addicted to solonenkom. So is it any wonder that the love of sodium chloride, and we demonstrate?

But there is an important caveat. Taught long evolution of the human body appreciates sodium. And try to keep it to the last drop. This played into the hands of people at a time when salt was in short supply. But now its excess. A body-it functions the same as in the past, "salted" times! As a result, sodium and accumulates against the expected benefit becomes evil: Causes heart problems, blood vessels, stomach, kidneys and elsewhere.

How do you know that you eat too much salt

If you do not sit on a low-salt diet or vegetable, then most likely, you somehow consume excess NaCl. mayonnaise other sauces, fast food, sausage, sausage, smoked, canned, not to mention the traditional fish and meat - all these sources sodium.

WHO and other authoritative sourcesThe Salt Myth - How Much Sodium Should You Eat Per Day? recommend to eat a maximum of 1 500-2 300 mg of salt per day. And it is less than 1 teaspoon.

Fortunately, to some extent, with an excess of salt our body fight still can not: in the end, we have kidneys that are able to withdraw excess sodium in the urine. But their ability to carve limited.

There are some obvious signs that the kidneys do not have time to get rid of the amount of sodium chloride, which you upload a daily basis. So, you endanger health. Here are the symptoms.

1. You notice that the worse began to think

Excess salt significantly affects cognitive brain function. Proved by Canadian scientists, investigated the relationshipAssociation between Dietary Sodium Intake and Cognitive Function in Older Adults between the amount of NaCl in the diet and the ability to think fast, to learn new things and so on. The objects of the study were 1200 adults, and their example of the connection between "more salt - less drain" has been set quite obvious.

With age, renal function deteriorates, and therefore it becomes even more than the amount of sodium chloride, to which you are accustomed to in his younger years. The more you age, the more important to closely monitor the diet and make changes if necessary, replacing salt less dangerous seasoning.

2. Do you often feel thirsty

Excess sodium violate water-salt balance in the body. To restore it, the body requires more water: it helps the kidneys to withdraw fluid excess NaCl. Therefore, salty causes an acute attack of thirst. Like all good, but not very much. First, it increased the load on the kidneys, and secondly, because of the additional fluid increases blood volume. Consequence - the extra load and more on the cardiovascular system.

3. You are familiar with puffiness of the face and swelling of hands and feet

Oh, and of additional liquid. Sodium keeps it not only in blood but also in the body tissues. So there is swelling. Swelling can be symptoms and other diseases. If they follow you on a regular basis, you should consult with a physician. Often, however, to get rid of puffiness, it is sufficient to reduce the amount of salt in the diet.

4. You have high blood pressure

This symptom is also related to the fact that sodium retains water in the circulatory system, increasing the overall volume of blood and as a consequence, increasing its pressure on the vessel walls.

5. You have a sore lower back

Excess salt increases the risk of various kidney disease. according to The World Action on Salt and HealthOne of the first symptoms of this is to increase the amount of protein in the urine. Also, ultrasound can be found stones. If you regularly experience pain in the kidney area (they are felt discomfort in the lower back), do not hesitate to appeal to the therapist. Most likely, after a number of tests you will be offered a diet low in salt.

6. Do you regularly have a stomach ache

Causes of abdominal pain can be very different: from hunger to appendicitis. Therefore, if such discomfort you feel on a regular basis, be sure to complain to his doctor and follow the recommendations issued by the specialist. Yes, one of the causes of pain can be fed a high-salt diet: studies showSalty Diet Makes Ulcer Bug Bite, NaCl enjoy the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers and other diseases.

7. Do you like fast food

Perhaps no unpleasant symptoms have not been (yet). But if you regularly visit fast food restaurants, snack burgers on the go and like to sit front of the TV with a packet of crisps, then most likely, you exceed the standards of salt at least a few times. And the consequences of this will show up sooner or later. While rather early.