Why you should limit your sodium intake!
foreverloved
Posts: 220 Member
Taken from here: "http://www.prevention.com/health/health/health-concerns/how-to-kick-the-salt-habit/article/3bd0b810e847c210VgnVCM10000030281eac____?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-656670-_-08082011-_-Why-You-Should-Shake-the-Salt-Habit"
It's no secret that a high-sodium diet raises blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart attacks and strokes. But new studies show that salt is even more dangerous than we thought: Eating too much has been linked to osteoporosis, dementia, cancer, and other serious health problems. It can also add inches to your waist.
Based on this research, the US government is revisiting its sodium guidelines. The new thinking: Adults should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day (two-thirds of a teaspoon), down from the previous limit of less than 2,300 mg.
Why Salt Is Addictive
Your body does need some sodium--to maintain the right balance of fluids, transmit nerve impulses, and contract and relax your muscles--but only about 500 mg per day. When you eat far more than that, your brain chemistry is altered.
Research shows that consuming salt triggers the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the brain's pleasure center, making salty foods as addictive as nicotine and alcohol. Therefore, as with any addiction, eating salty foods makes you crave more. Since so many of them--like french fries and fast-food sandwiches--are also high in fat and calories, OD'ing on salt packs on the pounds.
Loading up on salt also increases thirst. This wouldn't be an issue if we usually turned to water--but we don't. Research has found a close link between the consumption of salt and intake of sugary beverages. (Diet sodas aren't the answer: They're full of sodium!)
Eating too much salt may cause weight gain in less noticeable ways too--by changing how your body makes and metabolizes fat. Studies show that a high-salt diet boosts the production of insulin, the hormone that tells the body to store excess sugar as fat. Simply put, the more insulin you have, the more fat you store and the more weight you gain.
It's no longer just heart attacks and strokes you need to worry about if you eat too much salt. Evidence now connects sodium to other serious health problems, including:
Cancer: Salted foods are linked to a 15% increase in cancer risk, according to a 2010 Japanese study. In other research, high salt intake has been associated with deaths from stomach cancer. Salty foods irritate the stomach lining, which can cause infection by H. pylori, bacteria that lead to stomach cancer.
Osteoporosis: High-salt diets have been shown to increase calcium loss, which weakens bone and leads, over time, to osteoporosis. A 2-year study of postmenopausal women connected a decrease in hip bone density to sodium intake.
Diabetes: Eating lots of salt may promote insulin resistance. Diabetes already puts you at greater risk of hypertension and heart disease-- and a high salt intake only raises these risks.
Dementia: Hypertension may also affect your brain. Results of the 2010 Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, which took MRI scans of 1,400 women age 65 or older, revealed that those with high blood pressure had more abnormal brain lesions 8 years later. Other research shows that people with hypertension are up to 600% more likely to develop stroke-related dementia.
Sleep Apnea: High blood pressure is a villain here too. It is a vicious cycle--sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation, which can increase blood pressure.
Kidney Disease: Hypertension eventually damages blood vessels throughout your body, including the kidneys. The damage can be gradual: Symptoms may not occur until kidney function is less than 10% of normal.
It's no secret that a high-sodium diet raises blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart attacks and strokes. But new studies show that salt is even more dangerous than we thought: Eating too much has been linked to osteoporosis, dementia, cancer, and other serious health problems. It can also add inches to your waist.
Based on this research, the US government is revisiting its sodium guidelines. The new thinking: Adults should consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day (two-thirds of a teaspoon), down from the previous limit of less than 2,300 mg.
Why Salt Is Addictive
Your body does need some sodium--to maintain the right balance of fluids, transmit nerve impulses, and contract and relax your muscles--but only about 500 mg per day. When you eat far more than that, your brain chemistry is altered.
Research shows that consuming salt triggers the release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the brain's pleasure center, making salty foods as addictive as nicotine and alcohol. Therefore, as with any addiction, eating salty foods makes you crave more. Since so many of them--like french fries and fast-food sandwiches--are also high in fat and calories, OD'ing on salt packs on the pounds.
Loading up on salt also increases thirst. This wouldn't be an issue if we usually turned to water--but we don't. Research has found a close link between the consumption of salt and intake of sugary beverages. (Diet sodas aren't the answer: They're full of sodium!)
Eating too much salt may cause weight gain in less noticeable ways too--by changing how your body makes and metabolizes fat. Studies show that a high-salt diet boosts the production of insulin, the hormone that tells the body to store excess sugar as fat. Simply put, the more insulin you have, the more fat you store and the more weight you gain.
It's no longer just heart attacks and strokes you need to worry about if you eat too much salt. Evidence now connects sodium to other serious health problems, including:
Cancer: Salted foods are linked to a 15% increase in cancer risk, according to a 2010 Japanese study. In other research, high salt intake has been associated with deaths from stomach cancer. Salty foods irritate the stomach lining, which can cause infection by H. pylori, bacteria that lead to stomach cancer.
Osteoporosis: High-salt diets have been shown to increase calcium loss, which weakens bone and leads, over time, to osteoporosis. A 2-year study of postmenopausal women connected a decrease in hip bone density to sodium intake.
Diabetes: Eating lots of salt may promote insulin resistance. Diabetes already puts you at greater risk of hypertension and heart disease-- and a high salt intake only raises these risks.
Dementia: Hypertension may also affect your brain. Results of the 2010 Women's Health Initiative Memory Study, which took MRI scans of 1,400 women age 65 or older, revealed that those with high blood pressure had more abnormal brain lesions 8 years later. Other research shows that people with hypertension are up to 600% more likely to develop stroke-related dementia.
Sleep Apnea: High blood pressure is a villain here too. It is a vicious cycle--sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation, which can increase blood pressure.
Kidney Disease: Hypertension eventually damages blood vessels throughout your body, including the kidneys. The damage can be gradual: Symptoms may not occur until kidney function is less than 10% of normal.
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Replies
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Ths for the post. This is something I'm working on. I have realized that I consume way too much sodium per day. But I cant seem to lower it.0
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Working for an Sleep Apnea specialist who makes oral appliances I can also tell you Sleep Apnea causes more then high blood pressure, it causes stroke, heart disease, weight gain, dementia among other things ( those are just the top of the list honestly)
P.S. Love the article!0 -
wow, good to know! i love that website. my grandma used to read that magazine long time ago, and i grew up reading all about being healthy...thanks for sharing0
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Working for an Sleep Apnea specialist who makes oral appliances I can also tell you Sleep Apnea causes more then high blood pressure, it causes stroke, heart disease, weight gain, dementia among other things ( those are just the top of the list honestly)
P.S. Love the article!
It seems too much sodium can be the root of so many health issues because each of those can cause many other health concerns.
I've really been having a hard time cutting out processed foods from my diet but reading stuff like this makes taking the time to cook my own lower sodium foods much more attractive!0 -
Yeah and I have fluid retention issues. I totally had too much sodium today because I had a chargrilled chicken sandwich from Chick Fil--a. Pretty decent nutritionally, actually, apart from over 1000mgs of sodium!
I notice the tracker has my sodium "goal" as 2500. Is there a way to set that lower, do you think? Doc says 1500-2000.0 -
i try to eat less and less sodium but it seems so damn near impossible with everything being packed full of it.
the only way to stay away from it is to prepare a 100% fresh meal every time you eat...it's ridiculous.0 -
i try to eat less and less sodium but it seems so damn near impossible with everything being packed full of it.
the only way to stay away from it is to prepare a 100% fresh meal every time you eat...it's ridiculous.
Its not rediculous, thats what our grandparents, great grand parents and all relatives before them had to do! Its incredibly easy to cook meals in larger portions and freeze them as individuals. Go to any specialty food store and while learning about gluten free, vegan, organic options you will also see a much lower rate of sodium in these foods (even crackers!)
Sugar and sodium are both proving to be addictive to the body in clinical studies. To the point we easily ingest ALOT more then we ever need because out brain craves it0
This discussion has been closed.
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