SALT is one of the basic and the most favourite ingredient in food. It is around 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It is commonly used in food to add to it's flavor or to preserve them for a longer period.
You may have noticed that you feel more bloated and puffy than usual. It may also result in swelling, especially in the hands and feet which ultimately cause you to weigh more than usual.
Salt is necessary for our body as it does many important functions in the body like deepana(increase digestive strength), pachana(carminative), kledana(imparts moistness to body), rochaka(improves taste), kapha praseka janaka(liquefies kapha dosha), margan vishodhyati(cleans micro channels).
Salt isn't always the villan in the story of our lives but excess salt definitely is. You need a small amount of salt daily to remain healthy.
This article discusses about the effects of ingesting too much salt both in short-term and long-term.
Short-term effects of eating too much salt
You can certainly expect a salt(sodium) overload when you head out for a pizza treat or order that extra large bucket of popcorn flooded with extra butter at the movie night. But the tragedy is that, salt carves its way into your diet from unexpected sources like bread or cereal(which do not seem to be salty at all).
Immediate consequences of that evil food wrapped in disguise of tasty seeming flavor are a few.
Water Retention
It is because your kidneys wish to maintain a balance between sodium and water(i.e. sodium-to-water ratio) in the body. To do so, the excess sodium intake(through salty diet) is compensated by extra amount of water.
You may have noticed that you feel more bloated and puffy than usual. It may also result in swelling, especially in the hands and feet which ultimately cause you to weigh more than usual.
Excessive Thirst
You must have probably experienced the thirst to have a glass of water after munching upon a chunk of salty fries or after enjoying the popcorn at the movie theater.
Encouraging you to drink water, after having excess salt is a body's attempt to maintain sodium-to-salt ratio.
Bloating
When you overdo with the salt intake, your stomach may balloon out. A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology revealed that bloating which is characterized by a gas build-up and discomfort in the stomach, was more frequent in those who ate a high-sodium diet.
On the other hand, a low-sodium diet resulted in fewer complaints of bloat.
Sleep disturbance
Excess salt intake disturbs your sleep patterns. A study in Endocrine Abstracts showed that adding too much salt in your diet results in later bedtimes, inability in sleeping through the night and frequent nightmares.
The fluid retention due to excess sodium intake, makes it difficult and uncomfortable to lie down at night(especially for those with sleep apnoea).
Raised blood pressure
A salty meal cause a larger volume of blood to flow through your blood vessels. This may result in temporary rise in blood pressure.
But this could not be true for everyone, as not every person is the same. It depends on factors like genetics and harmones. Ageing and obesity can also be a part in amplifying the blood pressure.
Long-term effects
Acharya CHARAKA in chapter-26 of CHARAKA SAMHITA, described the long-term effects of having a salty diet.
Excess intake of salt causes increase in PITTA and KAPHA dosha leading to following effects:
•pitta prakopa- increase and imbalance of pitta
•daryati- causes erosion
•kushnati mansani- depletion of muscle tissue
•pragalayati kushtani- sloughing of skin diseases
•visham vardhayati- aggravates poison effects and symptoms
•shophan sphotayati- opens up swellings
•vali- grey hairs
•palita- facial wrinkles
•khalitya- hair loss
•raktapitta- bleeding disorders due to high pitta levels
•amlapitta- gastritis
•visarpa- herpes
•vatarakta- gout
•vicharchika- worsens eczema
•indralupta- hair loss, alopecia
Salts in AYURVEDA
1. SAINDHAVA LAVANA- rock salt
2. SOUVARCHALA LAVANA- black salt or sochal salt
3. VIDA LAVANA- type of black salt(sodium sulphate)
4. SAMUDRA LAVANA- common salt
5. SAMBHARA LAVANA- earthern salt
Among the salts, SAINDHAVA LAVANA is the BEST.
What to do if you've had too much salt?
There are a few ways in which you can help your body compensate for the excess salt intake.
FIRSTLY, make sure you drink a sufficient amount of water. So your body can re-establish the desired sodium-to-water ratio.
SECONDLY, try eating foods that are rich in potassium, such as fruits (oranges, bananas, apricots, grapefruits), vegetables (cooked spinach, cooked broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms), legumes (kidney beans, soybeans, lentils) , nuts(hazel nuts, almonds, brazil nuts), seeds(watermelon seeds, squash seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds), and diary (yogurt, whole milk, low-fat milk, cheese) . Potassium will maintain your body's fluid balance.
FINALLY, reduce the amount of salt intake in consecutive meals. Focus on consuming more fresh food.
Bottom line
Consuming too much salt can affect your body in a range of ways. In the short-term, it may cause water retention, excessive thirst, bloating, sleep disturbances, rise in blood pressure, puffiness, frequent urination. In severe cases it may even cause hypernatremia and if left untreated can prove to be fatal.
In the long run, high salt diet cause raktapitta, amlapitta, visarpa, vatarakta, vicharchika, indralupta, and even premature death.
Some people may be affected more severely than others by high sodium(salt) diets. To compensate for the high salt meal, try to drink more amount of water, eat foods rich in potassium and reduce the salt intake in the consecutive meals.
So, the next time someone offers you a bucket of popcorn or salty fries
think twice before you accept.
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