Effects Of Salt On The Body: Why You Should Stop Eating Too Much Salt

Salt is a basic food ingredient that serves different purposes, and almost all foods require salt to get a tasty result. However, too much salt can be detrimental to health. It will help to know the effects of salt on the body. Salt is also called sodium chloride because it contains 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It is a common household ingredient used to spice up food. It is used as a stabiliser and a binder. Also, some bacteria cannot thrive in a food item with a high amount of salt; thus, it also serves as a food preservative. Salt is good for health as the body needs sodium to carry out some functions. For instance, the body needs sodium for muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve impulses conduction and maintenance of water and mineral balance. However, sodium is only required in a small amount to carry out these functions. According to the National Health Service, UK adults should not eat more than 6g (1 teaspoon) of salt per day. This contains about 2.4g of sodium. Also, children aged 1-3 years should not eat more than 2g of salt daily. Also, the recommendation by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans states that adults should not take more than 2,300 mg of sodium daily (still equal to 1 teaspoon of salt!) Unfortunately, many people eat more than 1.5 teaspoons of salt per day. On average, Americans eat about 3,400 mg of sodium every day.

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