What salt really does to your body - from high blood pressure to stomach cancer
dailyrecord.co.ukLove eating salty snacks? Partial to sprinkling the seasoning all over your dinner? Like many people, you could be consuming too much sodium – the dietary mineral found in salt – and experts are worried about the impact it’s having on our health.
The British Heart Foundation is calling for urgent action, saying people are consuming ‘far higher levels of salt than they realise’.
The charity believes introducing a levy to curb the salt content in food could potentially save lives. “Excess sodium intake is extremely common across the world,” agrees Dr Jay Shah, cardiologist and Chief Medical Officer at Aktiia, who make 24/7 wearable blood pressure monitors. “The average intake of sodium is about double the recommended [amount].”It’s true we need some salt.
But according to the NHS, adults should consume no more than 6g of salt per day (2.4g of sodium), which is about one teaspoon.Part of the problem though is that many foods we buy already contain lots of ‘hidden’ salt, particularly processed foods like bread, sauces, soups, cereals and bacon or ham.So, what is excess salt really doing to our bodies?Ever feel puffy or more bloated after salty meals?
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