Salt in your diet :
Friend or foe ?
Our bodies need salt to survive . However , the amount of salt we consume is far more than we require . The Intersalt Study , the world ’ s largest salt investigation , aims to highlight the dangers of excessive salt consumption by educating people all over the world .
Why is salt important in the body ? Make no mistake - salt is essential for human health . Sodium chloride , commonly called dietary salt , is vital for our bodies . We could not live without salt . Sodium has many important biological functions – transmitting nerve impulses , contracting and relaxing muscle fibres and maintaining proper fluid balance .
How much salt should I eat each day ? The World Health Organization ( WHO ) recommends that we eat no more than 5g of salt a day . This translates into just under one teaspoon . The intake for children between the ages of 3 and 15 should also be adjusted downwards , based on their energy requirements . Statistics show that South Africans are salt lovers - consuming at least a third more than the maximum recommendation .
Why is too much salt bad for your health ? All salt is made up of sodium chloride . Too much sodium in the body makes it difficult for your kidneys to excrete , which may result in health complications including :
• High blood pressure The Intersalt Study showed a general correlation between high salt consumption and high blood pressure . High blood pressure is one of the key contributors to cardiovascular disease .
Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 2 | 2021
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