The World Health Organization (WHO) issued the second edition of the sodium benchmarks for various food categories report, raising concerns about salt consumption.
Excess sodium raises the risk of hypertension and can result in stroke and heart difficulties
According to the report, approximately two million of the estimated 8 million individuals who die as a result of poor diets around the world die from high sodium intake.
A higher intake of dietary sodium in a healthy body raises blood pressure and increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Sodium, the major component of salt, provides several health benefits, including maintaining plasma volume in the blood and guaranteeing appropriate cell activity.
Excess sodium, on the other hand, raises the risk of hypertension and can result in stroke and heart difficulties.
Sodium is found in a variety of manufactured products, including packaged foods, processed meats
“When most people think of salt, “deadly” doesn’t come to mind. Yet nearly a million people globally die every year from heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease caused by eating too much salt,” stated the WHO, in the report.
Excess salt consumption causes a variety of disorders, including stomach cancer, obesity, liver disease, and chronic kidney disease.
Sodium is found in a variety of manufactured products, including packaged foods, processed meats, bread, and some dairy products.
The WHO recommends that people consume fewer than 5 grams of salt (less than 2 grams of sodium) each day, which means that the population’s average intake should be less than that level.
Excessive salt consumption has a significant negative impact on blood pressure.
Sodium attracts water. Thus, when we take too much salt, our bodies retain water to dilute it. This increases blood volume, which raises blood pressure.
High blood pressure gradually strains the heart, arteries, and other organs, raising the risk of stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure.
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a primary cause of cardiovascular disease. Hypertension damages the arteries’ walls, causing them to thin and become less flexible, increasing the pressure on the heart.
Such increased strain on the heart causes coronary artery disease, heart attacks, and heart failure.