Salt is an essential seasoning in daily life. Without it, food loses its flavor, and one can also develop goiter. However, excessive salt intake is also harmful to health. What are the dangers of eating too much salt?
I. Excessive salt intake can cause cancer
Excessive salt consumption increases the risk of hypertension, myocardial infarction, and cancer. Medical experts suggest that the daily salt intake for urban residents should be reduced from the current average of about 20 grams to 10 grams or even less than 5 grams to lower the incidence rate of certain diseases. Experts state that nearly 50% of middle-aged and elderly people exceed the 6-gram critical value for daily salt intake set by the World Health Organization.
II. Excessive salt intake can lead to edema
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, edema occurs when excess fluid is not excreted and accumulates in the body. Some people try to lose weight by sweating or using diuretics, which temporarily reduces edema but has little effect on reducing fat. For weight loss, it is best to control diet and engage in physical exercise, and also to use less salt when eating.
III. Sudden Unexpected Death in Sleep (SUDS)
In recent years, SUDS has been rampant in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, claiming over 5,000 lives in the past 16 years. Some experts suspect that this disease may be related to a high-salt diet. A survey from the 1950s found that over half of the people who died from this condition had acute pancreatitis, which may have been caused by the high salt content in Filipino cuisine. However, experts have not yet established a causal link.
IV. Excessive salt intake can damage the kidneys
Too much salt can easily lead to an increase in blood volume, increasing the lateral pressure on the blood vessel walls, which raises blood pressure and can also cause arteriosclerosis. Additionally, excessive salt intake makes people feel thirsty, requiring them to drink large amounts of water to alleviate it. Long-term, high salt intake can lead to body edema and increase the burden on the kidneys.
V. Excessive salt intake can lead to freckles
Research has confirmed that excessive salt intake makes the skin more prone to developing freckles. It can not only make the complexion sallow but may also lead to freckles on the cheeks. If animal fats and proteins are consumed simultaneously, it can affect the liver's normal metabolism, making freckles more prominent.