Be careful when using salt

A small pinch of salt also makes a difference to your food. Not only does it increase the taste of the dish, for humans, salt (NaCl) helps move water from inside the cell out. It also maintains homeostasis - a balance between normal fluid and the body's electrolyte. However, too much or too little salt can be harmful to the body. Here are some ways shared by Ekta Vora (India) nutritionist to help you balance the right amount of salt for your health.

Too much salt:

When there is more sodium in the blood than necessary, the body will try to excrete them. However, every individual has a certain salt excretion threshold. When exceeding the allowable level, the body will try to absorb more water, causing edema or swelling. This condition can lead to blood, high blood pressure, and if not detected causes kidney failure.

Illustration. Source: Internet

Too little salt:

There is no danger if you do not have a disease in your body. However, the low amount of sodium in the body will lead to dehydration, fatigue, cramps (cramps) and weakness. All of this affects your heart.

Limitations:

One gram of normal salt (about ¼ teaspoon) contains about 373 mg of sodium. Therefore, people with blood, high blood pressure or kidney disease need to be careful with the amount of salt absorbed into the body. Depending on the condition of the disease to set sodium restriction: mild level (3-4 grams / day), moderate level (1-3 grams / day), very limited (1 gram / day).

Food needs attention:

Natural sources of sodium in foods are not as concentrated as sodium in processed foods, so if you are concerned about health, remove prepared foods from the shopping list. Besides, potassium is also considered sodium antagonist. A diet rich in potassium including fruits, vegetables, beans and coconut water can regulate the amount of sodium in the body. You can track the amount of salt added to the dishes but often lack the attention to indirect salt sources. Be aware that foods stored in bottles, boxes and packaging, they often have more sugar, salt and fat than necessary.

Some sources of sodium should be avoided:

Sodium is important but you can avoid using certain compounds to get good health. Notice the following list when going to a grocery store next time:

- MSG.

- Soda is used in food processing.

- Salty pepper, obesity powder.

- Nitrite salts: found in fast-processed cereals, ready-made cheeses.

- Alginate salt: available in chocolate milk and cream.

- Benzoate salt: preservatives in spices and vegetable salad dressing.

If you are sick, you need to limit the amount of salt absorbed, you can use black salt (mineral salts) because it has a lower sodium content than white salt (normal salt).