Salt- The Silent killer.

       Salt is required for transmission of nerve impulses and for the contraction of muscles fibers. It is essential for maintaining a proper fluid balance in and around cells in the body. The human body requires only a very small amount of sodium to accomplish essential tasks.

      Current U.S. recommendations call for a maximum of one teaspoon of salt per day and two-third of a teaspoon for people who have high blood pressure or are at high risk of developing it.

 NB: people with diabetes, kidney disease, heart failure and other condition should cut back on salt. Hazards of too much salt: Excess sodium(SALT) makes your body hold more water to dilute the accumulated salt, this increases both the amount of fluid surrounding the cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream.That means more work for the heart and more pressure on the blood vessels,leading to stiffened blood vessels, high blood pressure, heart attack,stroke and heart failure. Blood pressure rises with increasing amounts of sodium in the diet.

      According to a study conducted by a team from the university of Naples Medical school in Italy and the University of Warwick in England stated that 'Higher salt intake was associated with 23% increase in stroke and a 14% increase in heart disease.' NB: The more salt you take in,the more calcium your body flushes out in the urine. if the calcium is short in supply, it can be leached out of the bones; so a diet high in sodium could have an additional unwanted effect, the bone-thinning disease known as OSTEOPOROSIS. 

                                 HOW TO CUT BACK ON SALT IN-TAKE

 a) Most sodium is consumed in the form of sodium chloride which is table salt, other forms of sodium such as Sodium benzoate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate & sodium phosphate are also found in food.

 b) Avoid snack foods such as chips, crackers and Aerated drinks. 

c) When you cook, replace salt with other seasonings such as Pepper, garlic, herbs and lemon they are good choices. Also avoid packaged spice blends cos they often contain salt. 

 d) Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soup or broths and salad dressings,they often have a lot of sodium. 

 e) Do not eat foods with mono-sodium glutamate (MSG). 

f) Ask your doctor or pharmacist what antacids and laxatives contains (little or no salt) because some have a lot of salt in them. 

 g) Buy fresh vegetables and fruits whenever possible, they are naturally low in salt.

 h) Check & compare labels of food packages for how much salt it contains per serving.

 i) Try as much as to eat a balanced diet everyday.