9 Signs That You Are Eating a Lot of Salt

The combination of sugar, salt, and fat which is often in junk foods can be very hard to resist. However, it is way easier to eat more salt than recommended. But consuming too much salt can be harmful for overall health. Intake of too much sodium can increase your risk of heart failure, stroke, stomach cancer, osteoporosis, and kidney disease.

Most people find it hard to limit their sodium intake as most of the sodium comes from prepared or processed foods. That’s why it is recommended by nutritionists that you always read the nutritional label before buying anything. Here are some signs that you are consuming a lot of salt and you need to cut back:

1- Constant Thirst

Foods that are high in sodium such as spaghetti sauce, pepperoni pizza, and chips can make you feel parched because sodium interferes with the balance of fluid in the body. So, if you binge on high-sodium food on a particular day, it is recommended that you try and drink more water. This will help restore the salt balance in cells.

2- Brain Fog

Intake of salt can also affect your brain function. Sedentary adults with high-sodium diets are more susceptible to cognitive decline than those who consume less salt. It becomes increasingly important to keep track of the amount of salt you consume if you feel a decline in cognitive function.

3- Kidney Stones

Excess consumption of salt can also hamper kidney function. Excess sodium can increase the amount of protein in the urine, which can be a risk factor for kidney diseases. Moreover, high intake of salt can also raise the risk of kidney stones. If you have kidney stones or pain, you should consult a doctor and adopt a low sodium diet.

4- Swelling

Even one night of too much salt can make you look more bloated the next day. This is known as edema or the swelling of excess fluid in the tissues of your body. Edema can sometimes also signal an underlying disease but it can also mean that your sodium intake is very high. Needless to say, you need to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet.

5- Stomach Ulcers

Studies have shown that too much salt is also associated with cancer and stomach ulcers. Salt may damage the stomach lining.

As a rule, sodium buildup in your body provokes serious changes in urination that can occur because of two reasons:

• Consuming lots of salt makes your kidneys work overtime in order to remove it from the body. This may result in kidney disease that usually makes urination more frequent with pee that appears transparent or completely clear.
• Having too much sodium in your body can be a result of losing fluids that often leads to dehydration. When there’s significant water loss in the body, your urine output decreases and turns thick and dark yellow.