in

Am I Eating Too Much Salt? This Is How Your Body Warns You

Salt is a flavor carrier – but too much is harmful to our health. Your body uses these four signs to warn you that you are eating too much salt.

Salt and sugar are found in many (and almost all canned) foods these days. We notice this primarily through a more intense taste. But beyond that, both flavor carriers have an effect on our health. Sugar has long been criticized for being addictive. But what about salt?

As with many things, quantity matters. The body needs salt to function. Too much, on the other hand, harms him. The WHO recommends a daily salt intake of no more than five grams. That’s just a teaspoon! For comparison: On average, Europeans consume eight to eleven grams a day. How does our body deal with it? And how do we know that we are eating too salty?

Your blood pressure is elevated

High blood pressure is a well-known consequence of excessive salt consumption. If you find that your blood pressure is slightly elevated, you can often lower it by changing your diet. However, the exact treatment should always be done in consultation with a doctor.

You often have headaches

If you often suffer from headaches, it may be due to your salt intake. Researchers found this out in a study some time ago. The subjects were instructed to consume high, moderate, or low salt intake for ten days in a row. Surprisingly, the diet itself (whether healthy or high in sugar and fat) had no effect on the headache, but salt consumption did! The more salt was eaten, the more frequent and stronger the headaches were.

You often feel the urge to urinate

If you eat salty food, you are automatically more thirsty. Everyone knows that. But even without additional fluid intake, the kidneys work at high pressure if we have eaten too salty. We notice that by having to go to the toilet more often.

You have trouble concentrating

salt dehydrates. Because of this, we are also more thirsty. If the body does not have enough liquid, it dries out and shuts down. Our brain feels this in particular. It shuts down, we have trouble concentrating, and the reaction time increases.

Avatar photo

Written by John Myers

Professional Chef with 25 years of industry experience at the highest levels. Restaurant owner. Beverage Director with experience creating world-class nationally recognized cocktail programs. Food writer with a distinctive Chef-driven voice and point of view.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Basil Seeds: Their Effect On Health, Figure And Well-Being

Why You Should Never Throw Away Papaya Seeds