Happy New Year! As we start a new year full of hope with resolutions to do better, I thought it would be a timely reminder to reconsider our salt intake by drawing attention to the real impact of sodium on our health. With 2020 behind us, it is a good time to reassess priorities and I am committing to making health #1 in 2021!
We went low sodium a few months ago as a way to manage Meniere’s Disease. As I researched further, I was really surprised to see the many other ways high levels of sodium can impact our bodies. While we have heard a lot about sodium and high blood pressure and related heart health, there are some impacts that certainly were new to me.
Salt, Sodium and Impact on Health
This is an excellent overview from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health that cover the whole topic of why we all need to be aware of sodium levels in our diet.
Heart Disease
High sodium consumption can raise blood pressure which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
Ménière’s disease
Meniere’s Disease is thought to be caused by problems with fluids in the inner ear and one of the most accepted ways to manage it is to reduce salt intake and therefore fluid retention.
Diabetes
The relationship between salt and Diabetes is complex. With diabetes or prediabetes, a high sodium diet can worsen the condition by causing hypertension (high blood pressure), and could potentially lead to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Bloating
A study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, suggests that there is a direct link between a diet high in salt and gastrointestinal bloating.
Weight
This one was a surprise! Moderating our sodium intake may help with healthier body weight! We are not just talking about water weight (although I can attest to hitting that goal as easy low hanging fruit!). High salt diets appear to be linked to higher body fat – the kind that accumulates around your middle!
Osteoporosis
Here’s another impact that I did not see coming! The link between a high salt diet and Osteoporosis. Too much salt can lead to bone weakening and cause Osteoporosis! American Bone Health also cautions Americans to limit their salt intake (especially in teenage years) to avoid net loss of calcium from the body contributing to Osteoporosis.
Stomach Cancer
Certain high salt foods can cause stomach cancer: meat, fish and vegetables preserved by salting. The more people eat these foods, the greater the chance of developing stomach cancer.
Chronic kidney disease
Consuming a lot of salt has an impact on the health of our kidneys. Since the role of the kidneys is to flush out excess salt from the body, a high sodium diet overwhelms and weakens the organ and can cause kidney disease.
Please don’t wait for your doctor to tell you to cut salt. A low sodium diet is as much a preventative measure as it is a means to manage chronic health issues. To our health!