Plus, what you might do about it.
The fact that most Americans exceed daily sodium recommendations probably isn’t all that surprising.
Here’s what else eating too much salt can do to your body.
Photo: Kristin Lee/Getty Images
It seems counter-intuitive, but you should drink plenty of water (and avoid high-sodium foods).
#2 you’ve got the option to’t quench your thirst.
Do you find yourself reaching for a water bottle a little more than normal after eating a meal out?
Any high-salt meal can trigger an intense thirst.
Sensing an increase in blood sodium, receptors in the kidneys and brain trigger the thirst sensation.
#3 You get headaches.
If you get occasional or regular headaches, excessive salt consumption could be the culprit.
But a high-salt diet can also make people with normal blood pressure more susceptible to headaches.
When salt intake was decreased, both people with normal and high blood pressure had fewer headaches.
#4 You’re more prone to eczema.
#5 Your risk of stomach cancer may increase.
Higher salt intakes are arisk factorfor development of stomach cancer.
#6 You may be more likely to get kidney stones.
Regularly consuming excess salt can make you more susceptible to formingkidney stones.
This is because excess salt increases the amount of calcium in urine.
Kidney stones form when calcium combines with oxalates or uric acid in urine and begin to form crystals.
As these crystals get bigger, they become stones that can travel to the urinary tract and get stuck.
The result is usually intense pain until that stone passes.
#7 You may increase your risk of dementia.
This is based on a 2018 study where a high salt diet was associated with causing dementia in mice.
And researchers believe the effects may be similar when it comes to dementia in humans.
Want to start cooking lower-sodium meals?
We have lots of delicious andheart-healthy meal plansto get you started.
That being said, salt is an extremely important component of flavor, so some is okay.
She received a 2017 James Beard Journalism award.
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