Many of us have the habit of adding salt to the food every now and then. It has been proved by a research study that intake of excess salt or sodium could lead to several health issues in us. It is true that salty foods can easily go into our diet unknowingly too and by that we are just putting ourselves at huge risk. It is not possible to calculate how much sodium we consume everyday as it is a hidden component in salt. It is said that by means of sodium excretions it would be possible to measure sodium. Intake of foods without salt would not be possible but it is important to keep a check on the amount of salt we consume. There are few signs that would show the intake of excess salt.
Various signs that shows that we are consuming too much salt are
Frequent urination:
Frequent urination could be due to too much salt intake and this is one important sign. Truth is that most of the time we might feel the urgent need to urinate in the middle of the night. This could also be because of other issues like UTI, type-2 diabetes etc. It is better that we must do a test to know the exact reason for the frequent urination.
Persistent thirst:
We could feel thirsty most of the time in the day if we consume too much salt. Here, foods with high sodium content mess up with the body’s fluid balance. By drinking lots of water, we could be able to overcome this persistent thirst. To restore the salt balance, the body gives a signal that it needs more water.
Swelling:
Sometimes, we could get swelling in different parts and this could be a sign of excess intake of salt. Our fingers and around the ankles we could feel swelling. It must be noted that this swelling is due to excess collection of fluids in the body tissues. Persons having too much salt could have puffiness and tightness in and around the skin.
Frequent mild headaches:
Many of us might get mild headaches often. This is also one sign of intake of too much salty foods. Dehydration could lead to headaches. Point is that excess consumption of salt could result in this dehydration.
Feeling bloated:
It is worth mentioning that high salty foods could lead to water retention and this would make us feel bloated. By retaining water, we might also gain water weight.
Weak bones, cramps and pain:
Our bones and skeletal health could get damaged if we consume excess salt. Truth is that too much salt would be difficult to excrete and it could result in calcium loss in us. By this, we could have weak bones plus issues like cramps and pain etc.
Craraving for salty foods:
By adding salt, the taste of the food would be different. It is said that the taste buds present on the tongue would crave for salty flavours again and again. As a result, we might feel the need to consume salty peanuts, chips etc.