Salt – How much is too much?
Table of Content
Summary
Salt is a minuscule but crucial part of a healthy diet. The body needs salt to perform vital biological processes. Salt is needed for proper nerve and muscle function, good hydration, to create gastric acids and maintain cellular metabolism. The WHO recommends that healthy adults consume about 5 grams of salt per day. Recent studies by the ICMR state that the average Indian consumes closer to 8 grams of salt per day. Consuming too much salt regularly can cause hypertension, strain on the kidneys, kidney stones, and fluid retention. It also increases your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, gastric cancer, osteoporosis and increases inflammation in various organs. If you are a kidney or heart patient, you need to be very careful with your salt intake, as too much salt can add unpleasant complications to your pre-existing condition.
Salt – A crucial mineral for good health
The human body needs salt to function properly. Salt contains the essential element sodium, which has many biological functions in the body. Sodium is an important component of extra-cellular fluid and helps maintain cellular metabolism. Sodium is also a crucial component of the Sodium-Potassium pump (Na+/K+-ATPase). This is an essential membrane protein that transports sodium and potassium ions across the cell membrane. This “pump” moves sodium ions and potassium ions across the cell membrane, against their natural concentration gradient. This regulates cellular volume and pH, helps in the removal of wastes and aids nerve and muscle cell function.
Salt plays an important role in keeping the nervous system functioning correctly. Changes in concentrations of sodium ions creates micro-currents that allow neurons to send signals to each other, and to various muscles and tissues in the body. Sodium, in combination with potassium, is involved in the process of contracting and relaxing muscles. A lack of these electrolytes causes muscle cramps.
The salt we eat also contains chloride ions, which are an important component of the gastric juices in our stomach (HCl) that helps break down the food we eat into digestible substances. HCl also kills any residual pathogens in the food we eat, preventing food-borne diseases.
Salt is also crucial for good hydration. The sodium in salt attracts water, and facilities its absorption in the intestines. This is called sodium-glucose co-transport. This is why salt is added to oral rehydration solutions (ORS). The presence of sodium in the body also triggers thirst, hence giving you cues to drink more water when your body needs it. Sodium helps retain the water you drink and helps maintain proper blood volume and pressure. Without this, the transport of oxygen to various body parts through the blood becomes very inefficient.
How much salt is too much salt?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating less than 5 grams of salt a day, for the average healthy adult. This equates to about 2000mg of sodium per day. Recent studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) show that the average Indian adult consumes about 8 grams of salt per day (8.9 g/day for men, 7.1 g/day for women), which is almost 60% above the recommended daily amount. They also suggest that the main reason for this is an increased consumption of processed and pre-packaged foods which contain a lot of salt. This includes chips and other packaged snacks, as well as ready-to-eat foods and restaurant food. Restaurants use a lot of salt (and fats) to enhance flavour and make the food delicious. However, this can have unintentional consequences on health.
Consuming a diet high in salt can have many negative effects on the body such as:
- High blood pressure
- Swelling in the hands and feet, bloating
- Headaches
- Kidney stones
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease and strokes
- Increased inflammation in various organs in the body
- Increased risk of gastric cancer
- Increased risk of osteoporosis
What happens if you don’t get enough salt?
A healthy adult can function normally with as little as 500 mg of sodium per day. That’s about 1/4th of a teaspoon of salt. It is very unlikely for a person to consume so little salt that the body suffers from a lack of sodium. Also, the kidneys are very skilled at retaining the correct amount of sodium in the body and excreting only the excess sodium through the urine.
However, there are situations where chronic under-consumption of salt, combined with overactive kidneys can lead to a sodium deficiency. This is called hyponatremia. When the sodium levels in the body drop too low, it can wreak havoc on the nerves and muscles. It causes muscle cramps and interferes with the neurons’ ability to transmit signals to the brain and other body parts. Low sodium also causes water from the extra-cellular fluid to move into the cell and makes them swell to dangerous levels. This is especially dangerous in the brain, and causes a range of symptoms including seizures, hallucinations, decreased consciousness and can even lead to a coma.
Who needs a low salt diet and why?
The average healthy adult needs 2000mg of sodium per day, but what about those with special conditions? People with kidney disease, high blood pressure and heart disease are advised to limit their intake to about 1000-1500mg of sodium per day.
For patients with kidney diseases, an excess of salt in their diet can put a lot of pressure on their kidneys. The kidneys filter out excess sodium and so become overloaded. The kidneys cannot filter out the excess sodium effectively, and so the body starts retaining more fluid. This increases their blood pressure, and makes their damaged kidneys deteriorate even faster.
A high sodium diet is known to elevate blood pressure. This is dangerous for patients who are already suffering from hypertension and heart disease. It can cause dangerous complications such as shortness of breath, leading to hospitalization. If you are suffering from any of these conditions, a low sodium diet is perfect for you. According to general physicians, when consuming processed or packaged foods, you should check for low-sodium options which contain 140mg of sodium per serving or less.
Does the type of salt you eat matter?
If you’ve been to a grocery store recently, you might be dazzled by the different types of salt available in the market these days. Iodized salt, low sodium salt, Himalayan pink salt – The options can be overwhelming. Let’s break it down.
Sea salt – Sea salt is made by evaporating ocean water in large, shallow beds. Since it is minimally processed, many believe it to be healthier but there is no evidence to support these claims. It contains trace quantities of potassium, iron and calcium. It is important to note that in the quantities in which we consume it, the trace minerals are insignificant to your overall health. You must get your daily recommended amounts of iron, calcium and potassium from other sources in your diet.
Iodized Salt – Iodized salt is sodium chloride (NaCl) with a small quantity of sodium iodide. It looks and tastes the same as plain table salt. In 1998, the Indian government issued an order that all food-grade salts must be iodized, to address a rampant iodine deficiency in the population. That order has now been withdrawn, but the ministry of health still recommends that citizens consume iodized salt. The iodine helps boost thyroid function, metabolism counters the effects of harmful elements like mercury or lead in the diet, and prevents bacteria from multiplying in the intestines. An average teaspoon of iodized salt contains approximately 2000mg of sodium, which is the daily recommended serving for the average healthy adult.
Low-sodium Salt – In low-sodium salt, sodium chloride is mixed with potassium chloride. Potassium chloride tastes salty as well, but turns slightly bitter when heated to higher temperatures. Some studies suggest that low-sodium salts reduce the rate of stroke and major cardiovascular events. However, these studies are not conclusive. Some nephrologists suggest that excess potassium can be equally difficult for the kidneys to process. If you are a kidney patient or heart patient, we suggest discussing low-sodium salt with your doctor before going ahead with the substitution into your diet.
Himalayan Pink Salt – Himalayan pink salt is a type of rock salt mined in the Punjab region of Pakistan. This type of salt has an aesthetic millennial pink color (due to trace minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, chromium and magnesium) which has contributed heavily to its popularity on social media. This type of salt is often claimed to have health benefits, but none of those claims are currently backed by scientific evidence.
Tips to reduce your salt intake
Most of us eat too much salt. Here are some tips to get your salt intake under control:
– Use lemon juice instead of salt to give your food more flavor.
– Read the labels on your packaged snacks, and track how much salt you’re actually eating. This should give you a good idea of where you can reduce the amount of salt you consume.
– Try to get low-sodium snacks or buy unsalted nuts and fruit to snack on instead.
– Cook more meals at home. This way you can gauge how much salt you’re actually using.
– Do not taste salt. This is especially for kidney patients and heart patients. If you are on a low-sodium diet, keep that in mind and add more flavor to your food through fresh herbs, spices and natural acids like lemon juice and vinegar.
– Avoid preserved foods like pickles and sauces. These generally use salt as a preservative. This also applies to canned goods and frozen, ready-to-eat foods.
– Try to avoid eating out at restaurants too much, especially more than once a day. Restaurants focus on making delicious food, not healthy food. They add a lot of salt to give it flavor.
– Talk to a registered nutritionist or dietician to get a meal-plan that takes your low-salt diet goals into account.
Looking to manage your salt intake more effectively for a healthier lifestyle? Make an appointment with our experienced dieticians at Kauvery Hospital. With branches in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli, and Trichy, we provide expert advice tailored to your specific dietary needs, ensuring optimal health and wellness for you. Take the first step towards a healthier lifestyle today with Kauvery Hospital!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does our body need salt?
Salt is essential for maintaining fluid balance, transmitting nerve signals, muscle contractions, and regulating blood pressure.
How much salt should a healthy adult consume?
The recommended daily salt intake for a healthy adult is less than 5 grams (about one teaspoon), as advised by the World Health Organization.
What can happen if I eat too much salt?
Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney problems, water retention, and an increased risk of stroke.
Can consuming too little salt be harmful?
Yes, an extremely low salt intake may cause muscle cramps, dehydration, low blood pressure, and electrolyte imbalances, though this is uncommon without medical supervision.
Who should consider a low-salt diet?
Individuals with high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart conditions, or liver problems are generally advised to reduce their salt intake.
Does the type of salt make a difference?
All salt types (sea salt, rock salt, pink salt, or table salt) contain sodium, so the key factor is the overall amount consumed rather than the type.
What are some tips to reduce salt in my diet?
Try to avoid processed foods, prepare more meals at home, use herbs and spices for flavor instead of salt, and always check food labels for sodium content.
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai (Alwarpet & Vadapalani), Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
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