Salts Influence On the Body.
What is Salt?
A crystalline substance which gives seawater it characteristic taste and used for the seasoning or preserving food. Also known as Sodium Chloride.
Table salt goes through a refining process which clears raw salt of 82 minerals via a heating process at 1200 degrees which then alters the chemical structure of whats left, becoming sodium chloride. As well as removing minerals additives are added too.
Unrefined salt such as; Real Salt, Himalayan Salt and Celtic sea salt still contain up to 84 trace minerals.
Salts effect on the body?
Your body tries to maintain a healthy balance between salt and water, when you consume sodium your body holds on too water to try maintain the correct ratio. By consuming 1 gram of table salt your body will look to retain around 4 cups of water. Meaning weight gain of the weight of the additional water retention to cope with the 1 gram of salt.
Where do we find salts?
Many salts are found in processed foods such as; bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals and prepared ready meals or take aways. The rest of our salt comes from adding when either cooking or adding at the table.
Impacts of salt?
Salt has many impacts on the bodies functions, starting with the kidneys. Your kidneys remove unwanted fluid by filtering blood, any unwanted fluid is drawn out and removed into your bladder to be passed out as urine. This process is done via osmosis and for that to happen there needs to be a correct balance between sodium and potassium. By eating salt your sodium levels increase in your blood stream therefore upsetting the balance reducing the ability of your kidneys to function and remove the extra water. Over time the additional stress of carrying extra fluid will determine a higher blood pressure and put a larger strain on the blood vessels leading to the kidneys, this will increase the chance of kidney disease where the kidneys are unable to function properly. Toxins will begin build up in the body with no way out and you will need medical treatment.
Arteries are affected by salt as the increased blood pressure puts a strain on the inside of your arteries. The way the arteries cope is by becoming stronger on the inside, the issue with this is that once they become stronger they will become narrower and tighter forcing blood pressure to increase once again. This can lead to major organs been left without a healthy supply of oxygen and nutrients they need which can furthermore lead to organs becoming damaged or even fatal.
The Heart is affected through the damage caused to the arteries leading to the heart. At first the heart will experience less blood making its way there and therefore sharp pains will occur in the chest (Angina). If no change is made to the blood pressure over time the arteries will clog or even block causing a potential heart attack, one of the best ways to keep blood pressure down is to limit salt intake.
Benefits
Our body uses electrolytes including salt to help carry out electrical impulses that aid our bodily functions. The electrolytes set off the thirst reflex which helps us manage to drink adequate amounts of water.
Salts aid digestion, digestion starts in the stomach where the Hydrochloric Acid helps to kill bacteria, people with low hydrochloric acid levels tend to frequently get stomach flu. Chloride is needed to make the hydrochloric acid and the best form of chloride is salt.
Muscle Contraction is another beneficiary of salt in the diet without salt we would not have the ability to contract and can also aid the preventing cramps.