8 Signs of Too Much Salt in Your Diet

Here are 8 symptoms and signs that indicate that you’re eating too much salt. Most people don't know that a very low sodium diet is also bad for you. If you're wondering if you're getting enough salt per day or if you should restrict your salt intake daily to lose weight, watch this video.

Timestamps:
#1 High Blood Pressure 1:10
#2 Bloating and Swelling 3:12
#3 Bland Tasting Food 3:49
#4 Frequent Headaches 4:36
#5 Contact Feeling of Thirst 5:39
#6 Frequent Urination 6:52
#7 Pain in Kidneys 7:34
#8 Brain Fog 8:33

Salt is an essential dietary nutrient. It helps regulate vital functions such as our blood pressure, blood volume, pH levels and it’s also involved in a number of metabolic processes, nerve activities and the proper flow and operation of the circulatory system. But too much salt can cause some serious problems. When the body’s optimum sodium balance is thrown off, things start to go wrong. It puts a lot of stress on your kidneys, blood vessels and your heart. This could eventually lead to far more serious things than just high blood pressure even as serious as a heart attack or a stroke. The US Department of Agriculture recommends that healthy people limit their sodium intake to 2,400 mg per day. That’s about the amount you’ll get from a level teaspoon. But, most of us are getting way more than that, mainly through the hidden salt found in processed foods. Before we dive in, I want you to understand that salt itself isn’t bad. It’s a mineral that your body needs to maintain a balance between fluids and sodium and also for healthy muscle and nerve function, so you don’t want to cut it out altogether. Instead you want to make sure that you’re not eating too much and you can do that by looking out for these 8 key signs. Let’s start with what most doctors consider to be the most obvious sign of taking in too much salt... high blood pressure. Even though most of the medical community still continues to hold the stance that salt raises blood pressure some studies are starting to call this view into question. But the current standpoint goes like this: The ideal blood pressure is 120 over 80. Anything over that is considered high. A number of studies show that there’s a large association between the amount of salt you eat and your blood pressure and this association increases with age. It works like this; When you take in too much salt, it makes it much harder for your kidneys to filter toxins and extra unwanted water and fluid from your blood. The extra sodium in your blood, pulls water out into your blood vessels. This excess volume of water in your blood vessels results in higher blood pressure, but it doesn’t just end there. All of this makes the blood vessels work harder, which cause their walls to get thicker. This further reduces the amount of space inside the vessels that are already full of extra water, which also further reduces the amount of blood that gets to your organs, making your heart have to work even harder to circulate blood throughout your body. And there you have a vicious cycle of high blood pressure that leads to heart disease. However, more recent research calls into question...

References:

The association of blood pressure with sodium intake is substantially larger than is generally appreciated and increases with age and initial blood pressure.

The graph shows systolic blood pressure according to sodium intake among individuals not taking blood pressure lowering medication. Results were adjusted for sex, age, education, height, weight, physical activity, cigarettes per day and alcohol intake.
Credit: Lynn L. Moore, Boston University School of Medicine

(2.5) J-curved relationship between blood pressure and heart diseases

A reduced sodium intake was associated with a significantly lower risk of headache, while dietary patterns had no effect on the risk of headaches in adults. Reduced dietary sodium intake offers a novel approach to prevent headaches.

The WHO-recommended intake of ≤5 g per day. 32,27 With this reduction in salt intake, there was also a large and significant reduction in urine protein excretion of 19.4%.

A diet rich in salt is linked to an increased risk of cerebrovascular diseases and dementia, but it remains unclear how dietary salt harms the brain.

[geckosith]

This dude is the reason I’m losing 2 kg a week, I used to be obese but now I’m at higher end average

[jonlimber]

I have been subscribed to this channel for about 4-6 weeks (just randomly on my own). I am not a part of the programs or anything... I just received information from my doctor and I needed to take better care of myself. Since March 12, I've lost 37 pounds, and I feel great! A lot (if not all) of these videos that I've watched have helped me, in so many ways. I just wanted to say thank you for putting out all of this information! I'm not sure how often you receive thanks from your followers, so I wanted to give you some appreciation! :-D

[shanigetsfit]

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[flyingchicken]

Ive stopped having headaches. So happy. Also, Ive watched many of these videos. Lost 7.5lbs in 3 1/2 weeks.

[yourfavoriterussianyoutube]

*Love your videos bro, permanent fan💪😊*

[theonlykog]

Can't some of these be a sign of having too much sugar.

[pvladd]

I literally salt everything and I thought my blood pressure would be high, but maybe it’s the fact that I only eat whole foods that my bp came out perfect

[queen_ofall]

I did enjoy these tips!! I went right away take a small spoon (1 teaspoon) fill it up, and I place it on my microwave, and this ALL THAT I WILL USE FOR TODAY. If I'm bowling water, eating veggies etc....I will only use that teaspoon until the next day. My HEALTH IS SO IMPORTANT, I will not compromise on it! Tks again handsome!

[codys]

I eat loads of salt, I have rock salt everywhere I go. I've been eating 4-6 tablespoons per day for at least 6 years. I have no symptoms and feel better than ever. I also drink distilled water. I'm no doctor but I believe sugar is the root of all problems. Any starch or flour that also turns into sugar.

[maddisonvlogs]

I eat to much lemons with salt😔I'm addicted I can't stop eating it😞

[ajwalker]

Thank you for this. It helps explain some things for all of your viewers, especially those battling high blood pressure but never having anywhere near a high salt intake. There's got to be something else causing this, maybe even genetics, that is the culprit. However, in the meantime, reducing sodium to a healthy level is probably the safest bet in the short term.

[ahmadbairat]

omg lmao I'm literally laughing at my dumb ass, at this point your just listing most if not all my health problems

[SuperKevin]

Thanks Max/GTZ! Amazing Content as Always! Excellent Topic! Continue your Outstanding Work! Appeciate it!!

[michelleandliam]

Im addicted to salted kernels i can eat bags a day. I suffer from severe migraines and now im seeing why.

[ThatxDiabeticxGuy]

Excellently presented and explained, thank you for your hard work!

[hunter]

Sugar gives high Blood presser. Being Overweight makes it high.

[hatespeechisntreal]

To much well also make you poop soft or give you the runs, and not allowing the small intestine do its job

[taylorcoley]

I love salty snacks. Chips, crackers, etc but I'v seen how bad my uncles health is, especially his BP, he puts salt on EVERYTHING. No matter how salty it already is. Seriously folks, keep that in check. Frozen foods have a TON of it.

[IsaacNewton]

I went from less than 2300mg of sodium to 4000mg. BP stayed the
same. AND I am more alert, and can think better. Overall, I just "feel"
healthier. Try cutting out sugar.

[Kurostyle]

I eat a lot of salt and that doesn't apply to me at all. Always remember to eat plenty of potassium which is found in literally all fruits and veggies to varying degrees. It's more about the sodium/ potassium balance than just the sodium intake.