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Salt

 

 

You can't eat it without salt. The same too much of it also won't work. This salt which is known as sodium chloride consists of 40% sodium and 60% chloride.

 

Based on few studies, the recommended upper limit of salt for an adult is between 3.75g and 5 g, i.e. about a tsp of salt per day. Sodium intake should be between 1.5 g and 2.3 g. This is the ideal measure of salt for those adults with no high BP, heart problems and diabetes.

 

 

Why is Salt Required?


Salt controls the fluid balance in your body and it controls the way your nerves and muscles work. Your body regulates sodium content. When the sodium levels rise, you feel thirsty often and as  a result you drink more water. Whenever you eat any Chinese dish, you'll feel thirsty and this is due to high sodium content present in the sauces. Your body makes you to drink more water to eliminate the excess salt through your kidneys.

 

 

Tame the Salt Habit

 

To avoid over consumption of salt, cut back the added salt. You don't have to add salt to all the food items you eat. 75% of the required salt per day is already present in most of the food you consume everyday such as bread, ketchup, breakfast cereals, canned foods, etc. To our luck, most of the ready made foods have contents labelled. 1 g sodium means 2.5 g salt. So, when a packaged food says that it has 1 g odium, you can easily know that 2.5 g of salt is used to make it. Also vitamin supplements and painkillers have about 1 g salt in a tablet. Switch to no-effervescent counterparts if you are asked to keep an eye on your salt intake.

 

 

Why shouldn't you eat too much of it?

 

If you eat too salty foods, you'll feel bloated and puffy later on and this is because salt retains water in your body increasing the blood volume. As a result,pressure increases on the blood vessels which in return demands more work from heart for smooth blood flow. And this is why blood pressure increases and heart diseases occur. Other than this various other problems include osteoporosis, asthma, kidney stone,gastric cancer, etc.
 

 

Salty foods to avoid


You must avoid various foods which are loaded with salt such as cheese, papads, pickles, salted nuts, soy sauce, wafers, chips and savory farsan, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise, and ready made sauces, ready to eat soups, pasta, noodles, breads, etc.

 

 

Balancing the salt intake

 

 

Potassium


Increase in potassium levels lowers sodium levels balancing the BP. Plum, banana, peach, muskmelon, orange, avocados, spinach, apricots, raisins, prunes, etc. are rich in potassium.

 

 

Water

 

Water flushes out the excess sodium and maintains correct pH in your body. Sodas, aerated waters, energy drinks, etc. should be avoided since they can sabotage all your efforts easily in maintaining BP.

 

 

Canned foods

 

Vegetables and meat are always packed in salt solution or brine which increase salt content in the body. So, it's recommended to rinse such foods first to remove excess salt on the surface.

 

 

Replace with herbs

 

Instead of going for the salt shaker for extra flavor, opt for citrus juices, spices and herbs. Replace your salt with herbs wherever possible.