A high sodium intake can damage your health and put you at greater risk for chronic diseases. Health organizations such as the Harvard School of Public Health and the American Heart Association recommend limiting your daily sodium intake to 1,500 mg, or about 2/3 teaspoon of salt.
Blood Pressure
Research shows that blood pressure rises as sodium intake increases, notes the Harvard School of Public Health. High blood pressure, or hypertension, puts you at greater risk for cardiovascular disease. Individuals with the highest risk of developing high blood pressure include African Americans, diabetics, adults ages 40 and over and people with slightly elevated blood pressure, or pre-hypertension.
Cardiovascular Disease
In a 2009 article in the "British Medical Journal," researchers from the University of Naples Medical School in Italy and the University of Warwick in England published the results of a review of 13 studies that followed over 177,000 men and women for periods of 3.5 to 19 years. The review linked high salt intake to a 23 percent greater risk of stroke and a 14 percent greater risk of heart disease.
Other Health Problems
High salt intake causes the body to excrete more calcium through urine, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Increased calcium excretion can cause low calcium levels, forcing the body to draw calcium from bones. For this reason, high-salt diets can increase the risk of osteoporosis. Reducing salt intake may help slow age-related bone loss.
Research has also found an association between high intakes of salt, sodium and salty foods and stomach cancer, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
Reducing Salt Intake
Most of the salt in the average American diet comes from processed and restaurant foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To reduce the amount of salt in your diet, limit your intake of these foods and emphasize whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables instead. Flavor foods with spices and herbs rather than salt when you cook at home, and check nutrition labels for sodium content at the grocery store.
References
- "British Medical Journal"; Salt Intake, Stroke, and Cardiovascular Disease: Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies; P Strazzulo, et al.; November 2009
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Case for Salt Reduction
- Harvard School of Public Health: Lower Salt and Sodium
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Most Americans Should Consume Less Sodium
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