Many of us love salty snacks and savory foods. But how do you know if you are eating too much salt? Or, perhaps, too little? When it comes to salt, it is entirely possible to be getting the wrong amount.
“It’s all a question of balance,” explains Dr. Lela Ahlemann, a specialist in dermatology, phlebology, proctology, and nutritional medicine with her own practice in Hagen, Germany. “Unlike sugar, which you definitely can’t eat too little of, salt intake can not only be too high, but actually too low.”
In this Goldilocks situation, what is the ideal amount of salt? And, what happens if you eat either too much or not enough? Read on to find out.
An essential mineral
Table salt consists mainly of sodium chloride (NaCl) and is the main source of both sodium and chloride in the diet. According to information from both the German Nutrition Society and the FDA, sodium and chloride are essential for certain body functions such as maintaining the fluid balance of cells and regulating blood pressure.
“Too little salt can lead to fatigue and circulatory problems—and even promote insulin resistance and increase blood fats, i.e. cholesterol and triglycerides,” says Ahlemann. “People with pre-existing heart conditions and diabetes are particularly susceptible to this and should therefore be careful not to eat too little salt.”
Certain medications can also lead to more salt being flushed out of the body, which can lead to an increased need. The same goes if you participate in high-performance sports like long-distance running. That said, the majority of us eat too much salt rather than too little.
How much salt per day should we eat?
The FDA recommends we eat about 2,300 mg of salt per day—so, roughly the amount of a teaspoon. However, most Americans eat about 3,400 mg a day and men tend to eat more salt than women.
Interestingly, the salt we sprinkle on our food actually makes up just a fraction of our overall salt intake. According to information from the FDA, the majority of salt is consumed through processed foods and store-bought snacks as well as foods eaten outside the home such as pizza, soups, and burgers.
Of course, the tricky thing is that “you often don’t even taste how salty these foods actually are because they contain so much sugar that the taste of salt is masked,” notes Ahlemann.
What happens if you eat too much salt?
Too much salt increases blood pressure and increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, note the experts at John Hopkins Medicine. Since high blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, increased salt consumption also indirectly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Luckily, you can usually tell pretty easily whether you are eating too much salt.
Four signs that you are eating too much salt
Have you ever woken up with a puffy face the morning after eating out? “This can occur, for example, when you eat sushi in the evening: The soy sauce that goes with it is extremely salty, which can lead to you waking up in the morning with a puffy face and swollen fingers,” explains Ahlemann: “This is a typical water retention effect that occurs due to high salt consumption.”
If you are constantly very thirsty , this may indicate that your salt consumption is too high. “The body tries to compensate for the increased sodium concentration by simply requesting more water to dilute the salt. This leads to water being drawn out of the cells to dilute the blood again and causes you to become dehydrated and very thirsty,” says Ahlemann. The expert continues: “If you drink more, this helps to desalinate the body, as the salt is excreted via the kidneys and thus via the urine.”
A secondary and annoying symptom of eating too much salt? Making frequent trips to the bathroom. “Of course, if you suddenly start drinking a lot of water to compensate for the increased sodium content in your blood and thus force your kidneys to excrete more sodium, you will naturally have to urinate more often,” Ahlemann notes. This may sound helpful, but the expert emphasizes that every time you urinate, you lose other electrolytes in addition to the salt. “Drinking more often and the resulting urination can disrupt the electrolyte balance. So rather than trying to compensate for the excess salt by drinking more water, it is better not to eat too much salt in the first place.”
Although salt has no calories, it can still lead to the appearance of rapid weight gain. How? “If you feel like you have gained five pounds overnight, you can assume that this is water retention. The body tries to compensate for increased salt levels—as already mentioned—by trying to thin the blood. In order to thin the blood, it first has to absorb water and hold on to it,” explains Ahlemann. Eventually, the body does gradually excrete the water, which reduces the appearance of extra weight. “But the temporary water retention causes the weight to quickly increase,” says Ahlemann. “Depending on how well the kidneys are working, the breakdown can take a few days.”
How to eat less salt
“If you eat natural foods, i.e. not ready-made meals, the likelihood of consuming too much salt is greatly reduced,” says Ahlemann. “It is very, very unlikely that you will consume as much salt on your own at home as you would if you bought a take-out or ordered a pizza.” Similarly, the FDA recommends reducing your consumption of processed foods and instead integrating more whole foods such as vegetables and fruit into your diet.
You can also try seasoning your food with spices, herbs, and nutritional yeast instead of salt. If you find your food tastes too bland with less salt, you can try weaning yourself off salt slowly by gradually reducing the amount of salt used when cooking and seasoning. You’ll be surprised how quickly your sense of taste recalibrates.
Another important note: When buying salt, make sure that it is enriched with iodine, a trace element that is also essential for brain development and thyroid health but not found naturally in a lot of commonly-eaten foods.
