Protect Your Heart, Eat Less Salt

Salt is an important element that adds taste to your meal. No meal is complete until it strikes a right balance of salt with other spices. But taking an extra pinch of salt could cost you your heart health. A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found that excess salt consumption can cause hypertension and could lead to serious heart events such as increased heart rate and stroke.

Cardiologists recommend decreasing sodium consumption to prevent heart events. World Health Organisation recommends salt intake of not more than 5 gm a day which could help better maintain heart health. Excess salt consumption is one of the major causes of stroke and heart attacks in people. The study was conducted by administering excess salt in the diet. The result was that the urine output of the group showed increased sodium content and their functioning of the heart had also adversely changed. Reducing salt intake and restricting it to the recommended limit is one of the most convenient ways to prevent the risk of hypertension, heart attack and stroke. The risk of heart attack had significantly reduced when dietary salt consumption was lowered.

With rapid changes in dietary habits, people are more reliant on processed foods, fast foods and easy takeaways. The research study has found that packed and fast foods such as wafers, burger, fries and pickles contain a lot of salt. These foods induce hunger and make us desire more of those. In order to curb your salt cravings, reduce the consumption of foods that are processed using high salt content such as butter, cheese and pickles. Reducing the consumption of wafers and snacks can help reduce your salt intake and manage your dietary plan. Opt for everyday table salt rather than variants of salts such as low-sodium salt. These are not a healthy option as they may cause sodium deficiency in the body and can cause dizziness, fatigue and nausea.