Why is salt bad for you
Salt, a mainstay in our diets for some time now, is generally considered to be quite unhealthy for a number of reasons and should be avoided in large quantities if at all possible. This is due to the fact that salt as a chemical structure contains large amounts of sodium and has various effects on our bodies, particularly our hearts.
As we consume more and more salt our bodies naturally retain more water in various areas. This can lead to a number of issues, though the most immediate effect is generally weight gain through water retention. While this may not seem at first to be a major issue it can in fact cause an increase in pressure on many of our organs, thus affecting their overall functionality and causing a number of issues to develop if left unchecked.
One of the most important organs in our bodies to be affected negatively by excess sodium consumption is the heart. As increased water is retained blood vessels are constricted considerably, causing the heart to need to beat stronger and more often in order to pump the same amount of blood through your system than normal. This can lead to both heart damage in the long run as well as increased blood pressure, leading to a wide range of medical problems later on in life.
While excessive salt intake may not appear to affect you at first the damage being done is long-term and may not be felt until later on in life. This means that large amounts of salt or sodium in general consumed at a young age can generate deposits within your fatty tissues and cause issues later on, most often exhibited as heart conditions due to restricted arterial blood flows that prevent normal functionality.
Because of salt’s negative impact upon our bodies when consumed in too large of quantities many doctors recommend cutting out as much of your salt intake on a regular basis as possible. While salt can generally not be removed entirely from our diet as some is needed for us to function properly excessive amounts can easily be removed and should be whenever possible.