What are the symptoms of high blood pressure if you eat too much salt? How to control salt intake?

Salt is a seasoning that we use in our daily cooking. It can replenish the salt lost by the human body. However, eating too much salt is not necessarily a good thing. If you take in too much salt, the human body will produce more water. Especially patients with high blood pressure need to strictly control their salt intake.

What are the symptoms of eating too much salt?

Short-term thirst, long-term hypertension.

1. Thirst

The main component of salt is sodium chloride, and sodium ions have the function of regulating the body's water and osmotic pressure. Therefore, excessive intake of sodium ions will affect the blood osmotic pressure, and high osmotic pressure will naturally cause a thirst reaction.

2. Increase blood pressure

Too much sodium ion will lead to water and sodium retention, that is, more water in the blood vessels, the blood volume increases, the pressure felt by the blood vessels will increase, and in the long run it will lead to high blood pressure. This is why a low-salt diet is recommended for patients with high blood pressure.

my country's dietary guidelines recommend that healthy adults should not consume more than 6g of salt per day.

How to control salt in high blood pressure

First of all, if the heart function of the person with high blood pressure is normal, he can choose low sodium and high potassium salt. People with high blood pressure need to limit their salt intake, but the most fundamental thing is to limit the intake of elemental sodium. Low sodium salt reduces the proportion of sodium, and in order to prevent the saltiness from becoming lighter, elemental potassium is added to adjust the taste of the salt. Therefore, choosing low sodium and high potassium salt is the most direct way.

Second, reduce the use of sugar and increase the use of vinegar during cooking. Sugar can cover up the saltiness, while vinegar can increase the umami taste. If you add sugar to the same amount of salt, the saltiness will not be enough, and if you add vinegar, the saltiness will be too much. Therefore, not adding sugar and adding more vinegar will also achieve the goal of adding less salt.

Third, we should pay attention to eating less high-sodium foods, or better yet, not eating them. This requires us to pay attention to the ingredient list and nutrition information on the label when choosing food. In particular, the sodium content and nutrient reference value in the nutrition information table. Common high-sodium foods include instant noodles, ham sausage, etc.

Fourth, do not have condiments with high sodium content on the table, such as soy sauce, paste, pickles, fermented bean curd, etc. If these condiments are on the table, you will unconsciously add some during the meal, such as eating dumplings and buns with soy sauce, such as the famous Northeast dish, scallions with soybean paste, etc. If they are not on the table, you will naturally not eat them.

Why is salt iodized?

The reason why our country recommends adding iodine to table salt is mainly because the food source of iodine is limited. Iodine is mainly found in marine foods. Considering that some inland areas cannot eat these foods every day, and salt is a condiment that we eat every day, iodized salt is promoted. This method of adding iodine to food is also the most edible method, which can reduce the phenomenon of iodine deficiency.

Speaking of eating salt, it seems very simple. Just put it in the pot when cooking or making soup. In fact, there are some requirements for consuming iodized salt. Iodine is easily destroyed when exposed to high temperatures. Iodized salt should be added when the dishes are out of the pot. This method of operation can retain more iodine, while also reducing the intake of salt, which is more beneficial to human health. You should also pay attention to the storage method of iodized salt. Try to put it in a bottle with a lid, and never pour it directly into a bowl to avoid the loss of iodine.