Nutritionists: salt-free diet can harm the body
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Nutrition experts are confident that the complete elimination of salt from the diet can be no less harmful to the body than its excess.
Salt crystals of sodium chloride - this is a habitual attribute in the kitchen of almost any person. The same sodium chloride takes an active part in all sorts of processes occurring in the body. For example, without it, the normal operation of nerve endings and muscles is impossible, as well as a qualitative exchange of electrolytes.
Whenever sweat is released through the pores of the skin - for example, during the hot season or during sports, - a person loses sodium chloride, the deficit of which in the body can cause a feeling of weakness and even a clouding of consciousness.
A microelement with an antagonistic action - potassium - is not less necessary component for the course of metabolism. If sodium chloride retains moisture in tissues, then thanks to potassium this moisture is eliminated. From this it follows that the amount of sodium consumed by a person must correctly correlate with the amount of potassium entering the body.
It is this balance that is the regulating link that leads to the norm of the electrolyte and acid-base state of the organism. In addition, the "potassium-sodium" norm serves as a preventive measure for the normal functioning of the heart and vessels, as well as for the flow of all kinds of metabolic processes. The main thing - do not overdo with the addition of salt for food, while using the full daily norm of the liquid.
Nutritionists point out that different types of salt can have different effects on the body:
- Unrefined rock salt, except for sodium, is rich in potassium, magnesium, copper and chromium, but before consumption requires additional grinding;
- sea salt is one of the most useful kinds of salt, which additionally contains a large amount of selenium and iodine;
- iodized salt is an ordinary salt, familiar to us with iodine supplements, which is recommended to be added to food for everyone who lives in iodine deficient regions.
What is dangerous is the exclusion of salt from the body? Continuing with a salt-free diet, a person can find problems with the digestive tract, with a water-salt balance. With a lack of salt, an accelerated process of "washing away" most of the beneficial substances from tissues occurs, a feeling of constant fatigue appears, and the head often turns.
Adding excessive amounts of salt to food, in turn, leads to puffiness, impaired urinary function, heart and blood vessels.
To avoid negative aspects, you need to reasonably approach the issue of salt intake. The average daily rate of its use is 15 g for an adult. In these 15 g is not only sodium chloride in crystals: salt is contained in food: for example, it is quite a lot in tomatoes, kelp, sea fish, celery.
If you add hard cheese or cheese to the salad, then it is not necessary to salt it. Successfully you can replace salt and laminaria powder, and dried tomatoes, and celery powder. If you drink enough liquid and use products with sodium chloride properly, you can normalize the intake of salts and stabilize the water-salt balance.
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