Just why is too much salt bad for us all of a sudden?

Question

I use a lot and I'm really healthy so what's it supposed to do to us?

Answer 1

Its always been really bad for you. Its just people are becoming more aware.

Answer 2

This is a scientific fact known more than 100 years ago and first described by the famous 19th century French Physiologist Claude Bernard.He found out that the constancy of the internal environment of the body was the sine qua non for life to be maintained.One of the constancy concerns the osmotic pressure of the body fluids including the blood.

The osmotic pressure of the blood is equivalent to a solution containing 9grms of Sodium Chloride(table salt )/ litre of water.

When we ingest salt eg. sodium chloride or sodium glutamate or any food preservatives containing sodium etc. the salt gets absorbed in the blood stream and causes an increase in osmotic pressure. To counteract this the body reacts by retaining water and triggers the thirst centre in the brain- all to increase the volume of water inside the body so as dilute the effect of the salt to maintain the constancy of the fluid environmental osmotic pressure.

The circulotory system,being a closed system of blood vessels are thus faced with an increasing volume of fluid. In young individuals where the blood vessels are elastic these latter can dilate and accomodate a fairly significant increase without increase in the pressure inside(blood pressure). In elderly individuals the situation is different,the blood vessels are more rigid and the blood pressure increases.

A sudden increase in blood pressure can lead to catastrophic ends like heart failure,cerebral stroke or kidney failure.

I would personally add that ,as a bodybuilder, during our muscular definition pre-competition stage we keep away from sodium salt altogether.Within 2 months the skin loses its thick soggy feeling and becomes thin to a see-through thickness-- so the muscular definitions are well outlined including the six pack and the obliques etc..The body fat content may drop to one figure %.

Does that tell you something about the so called ' body fat decrease or elimination'.? Think about it. You will really make a sudden new year discovery !

Answer 3

It forces the kidneys, liver, sweat glands and spleen to work overtime getting rid of the excess.

They are part of a group of organs most responsible for maintaining what's known as Endocrine. The chemical balance of your entire system. Other important organs are the pancreas, the pituitary glands and thyroid glands.

Big thing is that abusing any one segment of the Endocrine system is going to cause changes in every other part. The pancreas can't function without the liver, the thyroid can't function without the kidneys, eventually you put too much stress on the entire system and things go horribly wrong.

If for some reason you crave more salt than is present just in the diet, that might be a clue to something happening perhaps in the thyroid or kidneys.

Which brings out another thought, the kidneys can sometimes develop lumps of unprocessed and not-gotten-rid-of salt in sizes too large to pass to the bladder. This starts a chain reaction where the kidney isn't able to process more salt, which will make the stone build bigger.

And the repeated stresses of eliminating salt leads to a higher blood pressure. Which can lead to strokes and heart failure.

By "all of a sudden" I guess you mean the increased focus on it.

Two reasons, a couple of centuries in research coming to a head fairly recently, and the increase of prepared and processed food in the average diet.

Just as an example, my sister-in-law had hepatitis C. a liver condition. She couldn't eat any canned foods, not even those advertised as low sodium. Nor most meats. Definitely sausages like bologna or salami or hot dogs.

Remember something about the way things are labeled.
Reduced Sodium means they didn't put any more salt in the food than was in the ingredients to begin with. Low sodium means there is significantly less sodium in the food than the industry standards for that particular food. No Sodium or Sodium Free is the safest bet, means the processing was done on food specifically chosen and tested to not have measurable sodium.

Also sodium is more than just salt, soda pop for instance has sodium bicarbonate, which changes to salt as soon as it gets into the stomach.

Another factor is that people drink less actual water and more stuff like soda, coffee tea and alcohol, which helps not at all.

Drinking more water is as important as eating less sodium.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

It's not "all of a sudden"....too much salt has always been bad for you ....we just didn't know about it until the doctors sussed it out that it was causing high blood pressure and also drying out your skin. But remember too little salt is bad for you as well...holidaymakers going to hot climates discover this when they lose a lot of salt (in their sweat) and this can often make you feel light headed or dizzy, that's why so many people take salt tablets with them on holiday. If you like a lot of salt on your food change over to a Lo Salt brand...you'll be doing yourself a big favour.

Answer 5

It has been "bad for us" for a long time. I am 54 years old, I grew up with my mother and my grandparents, and my grandmother never even put it on the table in the 1950s! She had high blood pressure back then, and she was told to avoid salt. Also, my mother had worked in a lab in the 1940s and a male co-worker of hers back then told her and the others that they would "do their kids a favor" by never putting a salt shaker on the table, so that they would never get into the habit of ever using it. Some people can tolerate a lot of salt; others get high blood pressure from it. Since so many of our foods come prepared with salt already in them, we get more than enough sodium in our diets. Adding extra may help with the taste, but it is usually unnecessary, and for some people it can lead to blood pressure problems. But - it is not a new concern by any means!

Answer 6

I've heard this before, too and a lot of doctors say stay away from salt because it can worsen hypertension. However, if you are healthy like me, I don't think there is anything to worry about. I love salt and use it pretty much on anything I eat. I've asked a naturopathic doctor if salt is bad for you and she said it's actually good for the body because it's a good source of iodine.

Answer 7

Not sure what you mean about "all of a sudden" - because the importance of having a low/moderate sodium diet has been known for quite some time.

Too much salt in your diet leads to high blood pressure (not cholesterol). Take a look at the below source website for more info...

Answer 8

It's supposed to raise your blood pressure. Specifically the sodium in table salt. If you're young and healthy, you could probably do salt IV without effect.

Answer 9

Salt, if ingested in sufficient quantities, can send your blood pressure through the roof!

Salt causes you to retain fluids.

Too much salt can cause electrolyte imbalances.


This isn't just "all of a sudden" either. This has been known for decades.

Answer 10

Hi, too much salt causes a few medical issues such as dehydration, increased blood pressure and it also contributes to hardening of arteries. Just a few good reasons there!

Answer 11

I have to add salt to my food because of an illness I get my bloods checked every month only I do know it is bad for you only not in my case low sodium