Feel the need to drink water after eating popcorn or a handful of peanuts? If so, you may have consumed too much salt. This is not necessarily a bad situation since salt is a mineral that the body needs.
"Salt is a necessity of the body and is not eaten by us just because of taste," says British nutritionist Pippa Hill, who adds that "salt deficiency can lead to muscle cramps, nausea, fatigue and dizziness."
Salt contributes to us only when consumed in the recommended amount required for the body, about six grams per day, which is equal to one teaspoon. Beyond this amount, nutrition experts agree, salt can be harmful to our health.
Too much salt - unhealthy, photo: GettyImages
Olivia Burley, a British dietitian, warns that high salt intake can lead to "hypertension, heart disease and circulatory diseases."
How do you know you've consumed too much salt? Here are 4 signs to pay attention to.
Headaches
Excessive salt intake can cause dehydration and severe headaches. This is not a normal, mild headache, but a significant headache in which you feel your head literally beating. This happens due to the dilation of blood vessels. These headaches tend to occur two or an hour after eating, when sodium levels rise. One way to deal with these headaches is by drinking water.
Swelling of the feet and hands
It is the appearance of edema, swelling, of the fingers in the hands, ankles or feet. In this case, there is a good possibility that it is a delayed physical reaction to the significant increase in sodium in the body.
High blood pressure
"Salt is the biggest cause of high blood pressure," Hill warns. "In just 30 minutes, from the moment we consume too much salt, a physical effect will begin on our blood vessels and blood pressure will rise. If, after consuming salt, you have symptoms such as blurred vision, chest pain similar to a feeling of pressure, palpitations, shortness of breath or sudden nosebleeds, then there is a possibility that you suffer from high blood pressure."
Frequent urination
"Excessive thirst is a common reaction to eating salty foods and naturally leads to an increase in fluid intake. This intake also naturally causes increased urination," says Burley.
Excessive drinking of water stems from the body's attempt to cope with the large amount of salt that has accumulated in it by drinking plenty of water and providing excess urine. In this respect, this situation also indicates a high and unsafe consumption of salt.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us