We can not imagine my life without salty foods. And once the use of table salt was a luxury. Now, salt, as well as sugar, doctors call "white death". Why do our bodies need sodium? How much salt can be consumed per day for adults and children? And what happens when we eat too much salt?
Several centuries ago, salt is very appreciated. After using it could improve the taste of food. And it has been used as a natural preservative. And it was not easy to get. People knew that salt - essential for our body.
Role of sodium in the human body
Along with water, salt - vital for our body. That's why diarrhea is recommended to drink not only water and saline solution. Salt is responsible for many processes in the body, namely:
- transports substances through the cell membrane;
- regulates the circulation of fluid in the body;
- It supports the acid-base balance;
- It maintains osmotic pressure in the blood;
- responsible for thinning the blood and lymph circulation;
- It is responsible for removing carbon dioxide from the body;
- part of the gastric juice and other digestive juices;
- involved in metabolism and digestion.
With a lack of salt affects all organs and systems. The first to suffer from the brain: slowed thinking and cognitive processes. Also, when sodium cell shortage is worse updated or cease to do it at all. With insufficient Used salts increases the risk of heart pathologies though excess sodium leads to the same effect.
An interesting fact, but produce sodium, as well as to store it, we do not know. All salt comes to us with food. And if there is food in which sodium is not at all, the person will die after about 12 days. Moreover, people lose sodium through sweat. Therefore, if you are physically active, you will need a little more salt, than the man who leads a sedentary lifestyle.
excess sodium
sodium overabundance - rather rare pathology. Because our body excess salt is excreted in the urine. However, in the current circumstances, when a person uses too many processed foods, yet it happens.
Symptoms of excessive salt intake:
- excessive thirst;
- increased sweating;
- nervous excitement or apathy;
- swelling;
- violation heart operation;
- the development of diabetes;
- development of pathologies of the nervous system.
salt intake Standards
In primitive society the person received sodium diet. Approximately 150 mg of a vegetable food; 540 mg - with meat animals per day. In the middle of the last century, the use of salt increased to 5-6 g per day. Now consider that a person consumes about 15 grams per day. All because of processed foods and fast food. How much salt you can eat without harm to health? Some nutritionists say that 10 grams per day - is the limit beyond which you can not get out - or very quickly overtaken human health problems. 10 g - a teaspoon of salt with a slide. An adult is better to eat 5-6 grams of sodium a day, a little less than a teaspoon. But some nutritionists do not recommend to exceed the dose of salt is 2.3 g per day. In children, the dose will be even less.
Reduce the use of salt is necessary for people older than 50 years, suffering from hypertension, diabetes and kidney disease. The maximum daily sodium intake for this category will be up to 1.5 g
It is important to remember that the salt we get not only through the products that we salt immediately before a meal. Salt in some quantity in all foods - bread, cheese, etc., vegetables and even fruit...
Remember that the sodium we get from food, even if not specifically solim. Therefore, nothing terrible will happen if you stop liberally salting food. On the contrary, your body will tell you "thank you".
You will also be interested to know 7 reasons to eat carrots every day: health benefits, which you did not know.
Photo source text: istockphoto.com, open sources
