In the second edition report of sodium benchmarks for various food categories, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alarm over the consumption of salt.
An increased consumption of dietary sodium in a healthy body increases blood pressure and also the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
However, excess sodium increases the risk of hypertension and can also lead to stroke and heart problems.
The excessive consumption of salt has a very detrimental impact on the blood pressure.
Such increased pressure on the heart leads to conditions like coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure.
In the second edition report of sodium benchmarks for various food categories, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the alarm over the consumption of salt.
As per the report, among the estimated 8 million people who are dying because of poor diet globally, nearly two million are losing lives due to high sodium intake.
An increased consumption of dietary sodium in a healthy body increases blood pressure and also the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Sodium - which is the main component in salt - has health benefits which include maintaining plasma volume in the blood and ensuring normal cell function.
However, excess sodium increases the risk of hypertension and can also lead to stroke and heart problems.
"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.
Not only heart diseases, but excess consumption of sodium also leads to conditions like gastric cancer, obesity, liver disease and chronic kidney disease.
Sodium is present in various manufactured products like packaged products, processed meats, bread and some dairy products.
According to the recommendations of the WHO, people need to consume less than 5 grams of salt (less than 2 grams of sodium) every day, which means that the average intake of the population needs to be below that level.
How does excessive salt increase blood pressure?
The excessive consumption of salt has a very detrimental impact on the blood pressure.
Sodium attracts water. Hence, when too much salt is consumed, our body retains water to dilute it. This increases the blood volume and eventually raises blood pressure.
High blood pressure slowly strains the heart, arteries, as well as other organs and increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and kidney problems.
Watch: Gravitas | Were Covid Vaccines dangerous for your health? Hypertension or high blood pressure is a major reason for cardiovascular diseases. The walls of arteries are damaged and become narrower and less flexible due to hypertension, which in turn increases the pressure on the heart.
Such increased pressure on the heart leads to conditions like coronary artery disease, heart attack, and heart failure.
(With inputs from agencies)
