(As) Sa(u)lted [again] II - Welcome back to my blog! - As promised, today I'm going to focus on how too much salt on a daily base affects our health over a longer period of time. Of course, I am my own and thus best guinea pig here, so I'll try and relate to several issues based on first- hand experience. First though, here are a few numbers to get a clearer idea of what exactly we are talking about.
The daily intake of sodium should not exceed 2300 mg per adult person provided, of course, we are dealing with the classically ideal case of no sodium sensitivity at all. Since this is not a perfect or rather fairy tale world that we live in, there is no such case. Therefore the recommended daily consumption lies somewhere between 1500 mg - for all those who are in fact salt sensitive - and 2300 mg. Rather shockingly though, the truth looks very different with an actual average daily intake of 3400 mg in the US! Both alarming and concerning if you ask me! According to the American Heart Association, 9 out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium every single day! 65% come from supermarkets and convenient stores, 25% from restaurants and 10% from other sources. Holy crap! - My mum's wise words are still echoing in my ears. "Just don't eat out all the time. Instead cook and eat at home as this is the only way you can control how much salt goes into your food." Right on the money! When we grew up, my mum basically cooked every day, at least 355 days out of the year, and I was as healthy as a horse. After graduating from high school, I went to university and had to learn to stick to the healthy ways which I had been taught all those previous years. Of course, this was anything but easy since I loved hanging out with other students at bars, pubs and canteens, but eventually I got the hang of it, and this helped me later on when I started to work and lived entirely on my own. However, whenever I slacked off a little here and there by leaning too much towards processed foods like cold cuts and fast food, I would usually feel it the very next day and pay for it fully. The last eight years here in the States are a totally different story though as I am seemingly incapable of staying away from eating out for real. I need not say that I do no longer feel healthy.
My once too low blood pressure, regardless of 25 years of smoking until 10 years ago, is now significantly elevated - not temporarily but in general. I have gained at least 20 pounds due to the daily over- the- top intake of sodium, and I feel puffy and bloated 5 out of 7 days which is quite uncomfortable. My hormones are again raging as I am writing these lines, and my head is still pounding. What the heck! These are all dangerous precursors for more severe and potentially lethal problems down the road. - High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for women in the US after all resulting in 200. 000 female deaths each year. That's more than the annual 42. 000 deaths from breast cancer! Altogether the number of US adults struggling with high blood pressure is assumed to be around 77.9 million. Excessive levels of sodium/ salt may put you at risk for: High blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, kidney diseases, kidney stones, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, enlarged heart muscle, headaches, etc. Interesting indeed, increased water retention won't just lead to puffiness and bloating but also to weight gain which will eventually call for a higher risk of developing Diabetes. - Heard or rather read enough for today? Well, I cannot blame you! For the sake of your health, please stay away from too much salt whenever you can!
The daily intake of sodium should not exceed 2300 mg per adult person provided, of course, we are dealing with the classically ideal case of no sodium sensitivity at all. Since this is not a perfect or rather fairy tale world that we live in, there is no such case. Therefore the recommended daily consumption lies somewhere between 1500 mg - for all those who are in fact salt sensitive - and 2300 mg. Rather shockingly though, the truth looks very different with an actual average daily intake of 3400 mg in the US! Both alarming and concerning if you ask me! According to the American Heart Association, 9 out of 10 Americans consume too much sodium every single day! 65% come from supermarkets and convenient stores, 25% from restaurants and 10% from other sources. Holy crap! - My mum's wise words are still echoing in my ears. "Just don't eat out all the time. Instead cook and eat at home as this is the only way you can control how much salt goes into your food." Right on the money! When we grew up, my mum basically cooked every day, at least 355 days out of the year, and I was as healthy as a horse. After graduating from high school, I went to university and had to learn to stick to the healthy ways which I had been taught all those previous years. Of course, this was anything but easy since I loved hanging out with other students at bars, pubs and canteens, but eventually I got the hang of it, and this helped me later on when I started to work and lived entirely on my own. However, whenever I slacked off a little here and there by leaning too much towards processed foods like cold cuts and fast food, I would usually feel it the very next day and pay for it fully. The last eight years here in the States are a totally different story though as I am seemingly incapable of staying away from eating out for real. I need not say that I do no longer feel healthy.
My once too low blood pressure, regardless of 25 years of smoking until 10 years ago, is now significantly elevated - not temporarily but in general. I have gained at least 20 pounds due to the daily over- the- top intake of sodium, and I feel puffy and bloated 5 out of 7 days which is quite uncomfortable. My hormones are again raging as I am writing these lines, and my head is still pounding. What the heck! These are all dangerous precursors for more severe and potentially lethal problems down the road. - High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for women in the US after all resulting in 200. 000 female deaths each year. That's more than the annual 42. 000 deaths from breast cancer! Altogether the number of US adults struggling with high blood pressure is assumed to be around 77.9 million. Excessive levels of sodium/ salt may put you at risk for: High blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, kidney diseases, kidney stones, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, enlarged heart muscle, headaches, etc. Interesting indeed, increased water retention won't just lead to puffiness and bloating but also to weight gain which will eventually call for a higher risk of developing Diabetes. - Heard or rather read enough for today? Well, I cannot blame you! For the sake of your health, please stay away from too much salt whenever you can!
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