High Salt Intake and Risk of Hypertension

Salt is a very indispensable ingredient in our food. It is also one of the key electrolytes in the body which has to be kept within normal by the body to ensure optimal functioning of the cells in the body. It is both beneficial to our health, when taken correctly, and can also predispose to disease conditions as discussed below, if the intake becomes increasingly higher than the required body needs. One major way of taking more than the body needs is adding raw salts to food ready to be eaten, probably because the food does not have desired amount of salt expected.

Salt is described as being osmotically active and so draws water to itself wherever it is found. When a salt is taken, it is absorbed in the intestine into the circulating blood. Because of its osmotic activity, it draws water alongside into the blood thereby increasing the blood volume which invariably increases the cardiac output which is one of the factors that determines the blood pressure of an individual.

High salt intake particularly predisposes an individual to hypertension. Hypertension in the other way becomes not just a disease but also a risk for development of some other chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, stroke, and renal failure.

Therefore, it is important to monitor one’s salt intake to reduce your risk of developing hypertension which marks the beginning of several health-related complications, if not well managed by a professional.