First of all I would like to thank Harry and katyzz for having interest with my works.
Let us first talk about the ideal salt consumption for an individual. First of all salt, chemically, is termed as sodium chloride. As a common knowledge we know that sodium and chlorine are very important ions which keep our body from doing what it is suppose to do- to maintain growth, efficient cellular functions, and homeostasis (or internal balance amidst the changing conditions of our environment). And so we may say that salt is pretty important for our body.
And so when we sweat a lot, or when we become dehydrated due to LBM, it has been said that we loose tremendous amounts of essential electrolytes/ ions that include sodium and chlorine. And so we address such condition by rehydration or increasing intake of electrolyte filled fluids like oresol, Gatorade, and others, for the reason of replenishing lost electrolytes to restore the normal functioning of our cells. And so what I am trying to say is that ions like sodium and chlorine found in salt are very important.
However as we all know salt should be taken in upto a certain extent in order for us not to be deficient or excessive of such compound.
Between sodium and chlorine component of the salt, it is the sodium that usually dictates the amount of salt that we have to consume daily. And so let me discuss the effects of sodium to our body. Sodium as it enters the body, especially the blood vessels, attracts as much water as it can. And by this premise we can conclude that the more sodium we have in the blood the greater would be the fluid or plasma component of our blood. On the other hand, the less sodium we find in the blood, the less would be the fluid component of the blood.
This leads us to another point. What happens if an individual lacks sodium? Well it might lessen blood amount by virtue of the assumption that we have said above. But more important than this is the fact that we need sodium in cellular functions like muscle contraction and nerve impulses. And so lack of sodium can lead to altered transmission of nerve impulses, or muscle contraction, or even cramps.
What happens if we have excessive sodium? Excessive sodium increases plasma component of the blood, thus increasing blood volume. And we have to understand that our blood imposes certain tension against the walls of blood vessels- the blood pressure. And the greater the blood volume, the greater is the tendency that this blood pressure would increase. And if uncontrolled this leads to hypertension. And hypertensive individuals beget cardiovascular diseases, stroke, infarctions, etc.
1,500 mg of sodium is an ideal intake for middle and even older-aged individuals especially for those who already have hypertension. But for others 2,000 mg of sodium is ideal per day. This amounts to only 1 teaspoon of salt. Imagine how small it should be? And so we have to be aware of the salt content of the food that we eat. No wonder how hospital foods seem to be unflavory...
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Do you have questions in mind? Just feel free to post them on my 'comment area'. If you have topics that you want me to sicuss regarding health, exercises, or physiotherapy practices, please feel free to send them to me. I shall be at your service...
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