"Isn't it said that eating saltier food is good for your health?"
Aunt Wang is 52 years old this year. She has always been in good health because she pays attention to her health. Some time ago, when Aunt Wang was browsing the web, she saw some studies that found that eating salty food is good for the body. So, in the days to come, Aunt Wang would add a little more salt when cooking.
Just like that, a month passed before I knew it, and Aunt Wang suddenly felt dizzy and a little nauseous. In order to find out what was going on, Aunt Wang went to the hospital for treatment. After arriving at the hospital, the doctor measured blood pressure after understanding Aunt Wang's condition. Unexpectedly, this measurement found that Aunt Wang's blood pressure was as high as 172/98mmHg, and she was initially diagnosed as hypertension .
When Aunt Wang learned that her high blood pressure was related to eating too much salt, she couldn't understand it for a while, so she said the sentence at the beginning of the article. After hearing the question raised by Aunt Wang, the doctor asked: Where did you hear pseudoscience here? Eating too much salt is definitely not good for your body. After hearing the doctor's explanation, Aunt Wang felt even more confused.
Is eating too much salt really harmful to the body? What should we pay attention to at ordinary times? In order to let everyone have more knowledge and understanding of salt, today I will talk to you about the relevant knowledge.
1. Salt is very important for the human body!
In the early days, humans mainly ate some animals, and the blood of animals was rich in salt, which could provide sufficient salt for the human body. With the development of the times, humans eat less meat and turn to whole grains. Whole grains contain relatively little salt, which simply cannot meet the needs of the human body.
As a result, humans began to look for ways to obtain salt. Later, during the Yellow Emperor period, there was a prince named Susha who began to obtain salt by boiling sea water. Later, after improvements, the way humans obtain salt has made progress.
Many friends’ understanding of salt may only be at the flavoring level. It is true that salt does play an important role in seasoning. But table salt does much more than that.
Table salt can regulate our osmotic pressure and allow the human body to function normally. The chemical components of table salt are mainly sodium ions and chloride ions . After it enters the human body, it can adjust the osmotic pressure of the human body. If we don’t consume enough salt, it may cause edema. If we don't eat salt for a long time, we may suffer from electrolyte imbalance, which will cause symptoms such as general weakness, headache, drowsiness, etc.
At the same time, table salt can also help regulate acid-base balance. The chloride ions in table salt can promote the secretion of gastric acid and help keep the stomach in an acidic environment. In the human body, sodium ions exchange with potassium ions , which also helps maintain acid-base balance.
2. Research has found that the saltier you eat, the longer your life span?
Actually, the article Aunt Wang saw before does exist. However, it is obvious that the conclusion of that article conflicts with our knowledge. What is going on? Let me tell you one by one!
Previously, Europe had done a study on the relationship between sodium intake and life span. found that for every 1 gram increase in daily sodium intake, life expectancy will increase by 2.6 years. Many friends felt incredible when they saw this research.
In fact, this research itself also has certain problems. We all know that there are many factors that affect life span, and sodium ion intake is only one of them. We cannot directly apply the conclusions drawn from this study to practice.
In addition, this study is an observational study , and the researchers did not intervene on some factors. In fact, many people's life span will be shortened after long-term intake of excessive salt.
Eating too much salt for a long time will harm human health. The specific harm is summarized as follows:
❶ Increases the risk of high blood pressure:
Eating too much salt for a long time will allow a lot of sodium ions and chloride ions to enter the human body, which will lead to water and sodium retention and allow more water to enter the blood vessels. When the blood vessel volume remains unchanged, the increase in water content in the blood vessels will undoubtedly increase the risk of hypertension.
At the same time, consuming too much salt can increase the sensitivity of blood vessels to vasoconstrictor substances. Even if the amount of vasoconstrictor substance in the human body does not increase, the blood vessels will be in a state of contraction. When blood vessels constrict, blood pressure tends to rise.
❷ Increases the risk of osteoporosis:
For middle-aged and elderly people, the absorption function of their gastrointestinal tract itself has declined, and their appetite is not very good, so there is a risk of osteoporosis.
If middle-aged and elderly people consume excessive amounts of salt, it is more likely to cause osteoporosis. This is because for every 2.3 grams of sodium excreted by the kidneys, 40 to 60 mg of calcium will be lost at the same time. If you consume excessive amounts of salt for a long time, more calcium will be excreted, making it more likely to cause osteoporosis.
❸ Increases the risk of gastric cancer:
Research has found that long-term intake of large amounts of salt will increase the risk of gastric cancer.
In fact, this research result also has a scientific basis. When we consume too much salt, the high osmotic pressure of the salt will damage the gastric mucosa. In order to repair the gastric mucosa, the human body has to continue to copy. The more copies are made, the more mistakes will be made, thereby increasing the risk of cancer.
At the same time, a high-salt diet can also inhibit the secretion of gastric acid and the synthesis of prostaglandin E. In this case, the stomach will be more susceptible to pathogenic factors, leading to the occurrence of gastric diseases, thereby increasing the risk of gastric cancer.
When cooking every day, we can prepare the salt for cooking in advance. When
cooks each meal, he strictly follows the plan to add salt. When we have a clear understanding of the amount of salt we put in, it is easier to control our salt intake.
Although many friends can control their salt intake when cooking, they unknowingly consume excessive salt.
This is because some friends have a hobby of eating snacks, and some friends ignore the amount of salt in the condiments when adding them.
Many of the snacks and condiments we eat contain more or less a little salt. Although they are not high in salt, they can cause us to consume excessive amounts of salt without even realizing it.
❸ Reduce the chance of eating out:
Some friends rarely eat at home, which easily causes them to consume excessive amounts of salt.
When we eat out, we don't know how much salt is put in it. In this case, it is easy to consume a lot of salt. Therefore, in order to control the amount of salt we consume, we should reduce the chances of eating out and try to eat at home. #Health2022#
