Hello again, viewer!
When it comes to nutrition,
you’re probably focused on the amount of carbs and calories you’ve been eating.
But have you thought enough about your salt intake lately?
Your daily value of sodium shouldn’t go over 2300 mg a day.
Yet, the average American eats over 3400!
This opens the door for kidney disease, high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks.
It’s shockingly easy to go over your daily value of salt.
There are also plenty of tell-tale signs.
In this video, we’ll discuss them.
From excessive thirst, swelling, to even loss of brain function.
We’re talking all that AND more…
Excessive Thirst
If you are eating too much salt, you are going to get thirsty… and I mean often!
Let’s say you’re at an outdoor festival or sporting event,
gorging on nothing but hotdogs and pretzels.
You’re going to feel the urge to drink water pretty quickly.
Depending on just how much salt you’ve had,
the need to drink water will still be there after you’ve had some.
When you eat foods that are high in salt,
the sodium begins to upset the balance of fluids in your body.
The feeling of thirst takes over as a result.
This is why it is encouraged you drink water after an especially salty meal,
as well as throughout the day.
While there is no single rule for water consumption,
the average adult is recommended to drink at least 2 litres of per day.
Men are told not to go over 3.7, while women are suggested nothing over 2.7.
So if you’re planning on spending your night in front of the TV with a bag of salty chips,
I suggest you have a cup of water by your side.
Excessive Urination
If you are planning to drink a lot of water,
you may want to prepare yourself for the raging urge to head to your nearest bathroom.
But even if you haven’t had a ton of water,
a salty diet is still accompanied by the sudden need to urinate, especially later in the night.
Did you know that full bladder wakes up roughly 2 in every 3 women over the age of 40?
This can lead to mood swings and grogginess come morning time.
The condition is known as nocturia.
While it is much more common in older people,
1 in 3 adults begin to experience it after the 30 year mark.
While possible causes include high calcium, hormones and kidney disease,
scientists have linked the constant urge to urinate with your intake of salt.
A 2017 study focused on 223 volunteers who were asked to cut their sodium intake by 25%.
As a result, their nightly trips to the bathroom were reduced from 2.3 to 1.4.
When volunteers increased their sodium,
their midnight missions to the toilet increased from 2.3 to 2.7.
So if you’d like to stop the late night bathroom trips,
you can start by skipping out on the chips while watching TV tonight.
Strange Swelling
Let’s say you did overload on chips tonight.
You may wake up with some serious swelling in unexpected places.
It is normally felt around your ankles and fingers.
This is caused by retention of water in the body.
Swelling around the ankles is particularly alarming.
This is known as edema.
Edema occurs when your small blood vessels leak into nearby tissues.
When it happens to your ankles, not only does the area swell,
the skin above that area looks shiny and stretched.
This is normally among the first signs that you’re consuming too much salt.
In other cases, it can be a sign of a much more serious health condition.
While it is mostly common in lower areas of the body,
you may also find swelling in your hands and fingers.
When you have eaten too much salt, your body will begin retaining water in an
attempt to dilute it and stop your cells from being damaged.
Waking up with a hand shaped like a winter glove would be quite scary.
If you would like to avoid this horror, at least go for some unsalted chips tonight.
You Want More Salt
If that won’t discourage you from overloading on sodium, perhaps this will.
Eating overly-salted foods like chips will only lead you to wanting more.
You begin craving it.
Just think of this as a sweet tooth, but for nachos and hotdogs.
Your salt habit will only grow worse as time progresses.
At restaurants, you may even find yourself using the table salt much more than usual.
This could be poison for your health.
Did you know that one single teaspoon of salt can equal to your full daily value?
Remember, that’s 2300 mg!
What are some of your favourite salty foods?
Many of your favourites might appear on a list of the saltiest ever.
These include bread, deli meats, cheese and --- Are you ready for this?
It’s one that comprises each food I just mentioned...
Pizza!
Yes ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to salt,
it doesn’t get much more intense than your favourite party snack.
Were you aware that the average slice of regular pizza carries close to 600 mg of sodium?
This means that eating just three slices exceeds your daily value.
So if you cut back on the salty food, your urge to eat more salt will simmer down.
I know you’re now probably craving pizza with your chips, but try to control yourself.
Let’s stop for a second.
On the topic of pizza, have you been concerned with your
overall health and worried that food you’re eating might be the culprit?
Check out our recent video on acidic foods your body doesn’t like.
Also, you may want to click on our clip discussing signs you have a protein deficiency.
Now back to our list of signs you are eating too much salt...
High Blood Pressure
If you keep down this steady road of pizza and chips,
high blood pressure is bound to be one of the speed bumps.
Remember earlier when we mentioned how the average American eats 3400 mg in a day?
Well it’s this massive intake that causes your body to retain more water than it can handle.
This puts added pressure on your arteries,
where the muscle walls swell, leaving only a small space for blood to travel.
This leads to a strain on your heart, as it’s pumps become harder and heavier.
From here, a condition known as angina takes form.
Angina is a pressing pain you feel when your heart is not receiving proper blood flow.
The pain can also be felt in other areas including your shoulders, arms and neck.
What is scarier is that angina is a symptom of coronary heart disease.
When that first chip enters your mouth tonight,
just know that your arteries and heart are pleading for you to stop.
Kidney Problems
A high-sodium diet can inflict major issues on your kidneys.
These organs remove fluid by filtering it into your bladder.
It does so by drawing this out of your bloodstream with the help of sodium and potassium.
If there is too much salt in your body, this process is hindered,
as there is now as excess of sodium in your bloodstream.
This leads to kidney disease, which alters their function and
causes unwanted waste to build up in your system.
Additionally, a high-sodium intake will increase the level of protein found in your urine.
It can also increase the amount of calcium, which results in kidney stones.
Those chips are looking a little less delicious right now, aren’t they?
Loss of Brain Function
We’ve discussed the effects salt has on your physical state.
It’s time to move on to how it impacts you mentally.
Not only can salt inflict damage to your heart’s arteries, your brain’s arteries also suffer.
The sodium can obstruct the blood flow to your head,
forcing your brain to go without the proper amount.
While the pathway to your brain has become smaller, the one to dementia has only widened.
To put it simply, dementia is a state where
your brain lacks the ability to produce proper thoughts.
Since your brain is no longer receiving oxygen and nutrients, your cells will not function properly.
This disease gradually worsens.
A 2018 study focused on a collection of 5000 men over the age of 65.
Those who consumed salt on a regular basis had a 30% greater risk of
developing cognitive impairment, which eventually leads to dementia.
If you continually eat salt,
the strain on your blood pressure will cause your arteries to become clogged.
They may even burst.
From here, a portion of your brain will shut down.
The end result is usually a stroke.
Is this something you want?
Didn’t think so.
So if you’ve had one or more bags of chips today already--
Okay, I think you get the message by now.
Have you noticed any of these signs?
Would you consider cutting back on salt after watching this video?
Let us know in the comments below.
We’d love to hear from you.