hey there viewers are you mindful of how much sodium you're consuming well if you aren't
please start sodium intake has a direct effect on your body in today's video we'll be discussing
these adverse effects can it dehydrate your body are there increased risks like renal
stones and stomach cancer what about cognitive functioning we will be discussing all of this
and more number one dehydration if you are careless about your water intake sodium has
all the more potential to dehydrate you either you increase your water consumption or cut
back on salt it significantly affects the sodium to water ratio in your body but your
body won't let things go without a fight it'll make you feel thirsty this is your body's
way of maintaining salt and water balance being thirsty is one of the most common symptoms
of dehydration a study has found that elevated sodium intake may cause dehydration which
is pro-inflammatory in nature if you do not rectify the situation and increase your water
intake this can lead to hypernatremia hypernatremia is a medical term for high sodium concentration
in your blood this condition arises due to restricted water intake and loss of body fluids
people with diabetes high blood sugar level and kidney disorders are more prone to developing
hypernatremia because of the loss of water from their bodies in the form of excessive
urine severe hypernatremia can have neurological symptoms like confusion irritability and seizures
number two bloating along with swelling do you hate the puffy face you get the next day
after binge eating high sodium junk food many of us try avoiding junk before parties so
we don't end up with the bloated face it's the excess sodium in your diet that stimulates
bloating this effect can be attributed to water retention caused by salt which leads
to excessive gas buildup in the gut this makes you feel uncomfortable and frustrated the
cell balance in our bodies is well regulated by your kidneys have an excellent capacity
to control specific amounts of electrolytes such as sodium potassium and calcium however
when sodium exceeds a certain level your kidneys get overwhelmed this leads to retention of
sodium chloride in order to deal with the excess amount of sodium your kidneys retain
extra water in the system this extra water then leaks into the intestinal tissue spaces
and appears as edema edema is the swelling caused by fluid accumulation and mostly occurs
in the feet ankles and hands people with systemic diseases associated with liver heart and kidneys
have higher chances of developing edema caused by high sodium intake are you finding the
list useful so far well this next point will surely surprise you but before we continue
why not subscribe to our channel for more videos like this and hit the bell icon so
you're always up to date
Hey there, viewers!
Are you mindful of how much sodium you are consuming?
Well if you aren’t, please start.
Sodium intake has a direct effect on your body.
In today’s video, we will be discussing these adverse effects.
Can it dehydrate your body?
Are there increased risks like renal stones and stomach cancer?
What about cognitive functioning?
We will be discussing all of this AND more...
1.
Dehydration
If you are careless about your water intake, sodium has all the more potential to dehydrate
you.
Either you increase your water consumption, or cut back on salt.
It significantly affects the sodium to water ratio in your body.
But your body won’t let things go without a fight; it will make you feel thirsty.
This is your body’s way of maintaining salt and water balance.
Being thirsty is one of the most common symptoms of dehydration.
A study has found that elevated sodium intake may cause dehydration which is proinflammatory
in nature.
If you do not rectify the situation and increase your water intake, this can lead to hypernatremia.
Hypernatremia is a medical term for high sodium concentration in your blood.
This condition arises due to restricted water intake and loss of body fluids.
People with diabetes, high blood sugar level, and kidney disorders are more prone to developing
hypernatremia because of the loss of water from their bodies in the form of excessive
urine.
Severe hypernatremia can have neurological symptoms like confusion, irritability, and
seizures.
2.
Bloating along with swelling
Do you hate the puffy face you get the next day after binge eating high sodium junk food?
Many of us try avoiding junk before parties, so we don’t end up with the bloated face.
It is the excess sodium in your diet that stimulates bloating.
This effect can be attributed to water retention caused by salt, which leads to excess gas
build-up in the gut.
This makes you feel uncomfortable and frustrated.
The salt balance in our bodies is well-regulated by your kidneys.
Kidneys have an excellent capacity to control specific amounts of electrolytes, such as
sodium, potassium, and calcium.
However, when sodium exceeds a certain level, your kidneys get overwhelmed.
This leads to the retention of sodium chloride.
In order to deal with the excess amount of sodium, your kidneys retain extra water in
the system.
This extra water then leaks into the intestinal tissue spaces and appears as edema.
Edema is the swelling caused by fluid accumulation and mostly occurs in the feet, ankles, and
hands.
People with systemic diseases associated with liver, heart, and kidneys have higher chances
of developing edema caused by high sodium intake.
Are you finding the list useful so far?
Well, this next point will surely surprise you.
But before we continue, why not subscribe to our channel for more videos like this,
and hit the bell icon so you're always up to date.
3.
Kidney stones
The most common advice anyone with kidney stones gets is to keep drinking plenty of
fluids.
Have you ever thought about why?
It turns out fluid intake not only helps them flush stones out, but it also prevents the
formation of renal stones in the first place.
Kidneys are your body’s natural filter that removes toxins and waste from the body.
They filter blood by drawing excess water and unwanted fluids from it and flushing it
out of the body.
And for optimal performance, these natural filters need to maintain a proper balance
of electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium.
These minerals pull wastewater from the bloodstream into the collecting duct.
However, high salt in your diet alters this balance causing reduced kidney function.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular disease have a major risk factor in common,
high blood pressure.
It has been observed that people with CKD are sensitive to salt because of the reduced
ability to remove sodium resulting in increased blood pressure.
This can put small kidney vessels under huge stress.
High sodium intake can also lead to proteinuria, a disorder in which too much protein is excreted
in the urine.
This aggravates CKD symptoms further and forms a vicious cycle.
Another major risk of excessive salt intake is that it can increase the amount of urinary
calcium, which is the main component of renal stones.
As a result, your risk of developing kidney stones increases.
4.
High blood pressure
This is one almost everybody’s aware of.
But what is the connection between sodium intake and blood pressure?
The answer lies with your kidneys.
Indiscriminate salt intake makes it difficult for them to keep up with excess sodium.
And when sodium concentration increases, your body starts holding on to the water in an
attempt to dilute extra sodium.
Another crucial point to note is that people respond differently to their sodium intake
depending on their salt sensitivity.
Salt-sensitive people may experience reduced blood pressure after following a low-sodium
diet.
Whereas, salt-resistant people may not experience any significant changes beyond a certain point
of sodium intake.
However, it is always advisable to monitor your sodium intake and keep it in check in
order to avoid risks of developing hypertension.
High blood pressure is responsible for two-thirds of all strokes and half of heart disease,
making it a principal cause of cardiovascular disease.
Remember, moderation is the key when it comes to sodium intake for even healthy people.
Before we move ahead, here’s a video you may like.
Watch this video to learn about 9 foods that help boost your memory and brain power.
5.
Risk of Stomach Cancer Increases
Can too much sodium be linked to stomach cancer?
Well, it does seem likely.
Stomach cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world.
It’s important to eliminate its risks as much as we can through diet.
Research has concluded that salty foods like , fish and preserved vegetables are the probable
cause of stomach cancer.
So you need to stop binge eating high-sodium foods if you want to decrease your chances
of developing stomach cancer.
Another reason excessive salt is dangerous is because of its ability to stimulate the
growth of helicobacter pylori.
This bacteria can cause damage to the stomach lining.
It also causes ulcers, lesions and inflammation in your gut.
If left untreated, the condition can quickly transgress into stomach cancer.
Helicobacter pylori infection is a common cause of stomach cancer in certain parts of
Asia.
This infection gets worse in the presence of excess salt.
Keep in mind, it can be prevented if you follow the recommended salt intake guideline of keeping
it below 5 grams per day.
6.
Cognitive Dysfunction
Yes, constant snacking on high-sodium foods is the reason you often get brain fog.
A recent study suggests that too much dietary salt may promote cognitive impairment.
This is because of the destabilization of protein levels caused by a high-sodium diet.
Excessive salt intake has always been associated with poor cerebrovascular function.
It stimulates the production of a molecule that promotes inflammation and stops the brain
cells from producing nitric oxide.
Low levels of nitric oxide leads to abnormal levels of tau protein in the brain.
Tau proteins are a group of highly soluble proteins found in the neurons.
They play an important role in functional processes like axonal transport.
Destabilization of tau protein causes them to detach from the cytoskeleton which should
not happen.
Free roaming tau has the potential to build up in the brain, resulting in cognitive difficulties.
As a result, you will experience trouble remembering stuff or concentrating on your work and studies.
Now it makes sense why our parents are always advocating for more fruits and veggies than
sodium-loaded foods!
7.
Salty Food Addiction
Yes, this is definitely bad news.
Just like sugar, salt is addictive.
So once you start eating more of it, you will find yourself reaching for the salt shaker
more often.
Researchers claim that salt is addictive just like hard drugs and cigarettes.
Craving caused by dietary salt triggers the same genes as drug addiction.
When you eat salt, the brain believes that it’s received its fix.
Oops!
The opioid system is responsible for this mechanism.
Naturally-occurring opioids are known to be linked with the feeling of reward.
This feeling is similar to those generated by eating delicious food.
This is the reason we find salty food so tasty.
Eating salt makes the opioid system engage in the central amygdala region, where positive
and negative emotions are processed.
To combat addiction, remember one thing.
Most of the salt we eat comes from commercially processed foods.
Not from the food we cook at home or the salt added right at the table.
So you should cut down extra sodium from your diet before you get addicted to salty foods.
Have you noticed any of these effects on your body?
Do you eat too much sodium?
Let us know in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you!