What is known about excess salt in the body?

Signs of excess salt

An excess of table salt in the body gradually accumulates when this substance is consumed in a dose of more than 5 g per day, recommended by the World Health Organization.

An excess of sodium chloride can be suspected by the appearance of the following symptoms:

• frequent or persistent thirst;
• the appearance of persistent edema on the face;
• bloating;
• increased blood pressure;
• the desire to eat something salty – paradoxically, this symptom speaks precisely of an excess of salt in the body, and not of its lack;
• loss of appetite;
• soreness in the joints, especially when moving;
• rashes on the skin;
• constipation;
• dizziness, imbalance;
• a change in the usual color of urine towards a darker one.

Ignoring these symptoms leads to a further increase in the amount of salt in the body, and this, in turn, is fraught with dysfunctions of a number of internal organs. Kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, bone tissue, cardiovascular system suffer. The condition of the skin worsens. Joint damage is almost inevitable.

Reasons for excess salt

In most cases, an unbalanced diet is the main cause of excess salt in the body. However, there are other reasons as well.

Of particular importance are:

• the prevalence in the diet of foods containing a large amount of sodium chloride, or dishes prepared from such products, including fast food, semi-finished products;
• the habit of adding salt to already cooked food;
• not drinking enough clean water;
• some kidney and liver diseases;
• genetic predisposition;
• taking certain medications, in particular, removing water from the body.

Both combinations of these factors and each of them separately can lead to violations.

Danger of excess salt

A long-existing excess of table salt in the body can lead to the development of serious diseases:

• osteoporosis;
• urolithiasis disease;
• oncological diseases, in particular stomach cancer.

Helping the body with excess salt

Correction of the amount of salt in the body should be started after appropriate tests and consultation with a doctor. Even in the presence of characteristic symptoms, laboratory values ​​will give more accurate information. And in the future, monitoring them in dynamics will allow us to assess the effectiveness of treatment.

The first step to normalizing salt concentration in your body is to optimize your diet.

• Ideally, you should strive for a level of consumption of table salt of no more than 5 g per day (complete rejection of salt is undesirable). In addition, you should limit the use of fatty and acidic foods and normalize the drinking regime.

Traditional methods

The elimination of salts from the body is facilitated by a number of folk remedies that can be prepared at home.

• Sunflower root decoction. The tool is used in long courses of at least 1 month. It is believed that the cleansing process begins in about 2 weeks. This will become noticeable by a change in the color of urine, it will become lighter, and sediment will disappear.
• Radish juice. Reception should be started with a small amount, no more than 1 teaspoon per day. In the absence of negative reactions, for example, allergies, the dose is gradually increased to 2 tablespoons.
• Decoction of bay leaves. It is most effective in removing uric acid salts.

But using only folk methods to cleanse the body of excess salt is often not enough.

Drug treatment

Drug therapy can be carried out separately, or it can be combined with folk remedies. The regimen and doses of drugs should be agreed with the attending physician based on analyzes.

In addition to drug and traditional therapy is moderate exercise stress… A few simple exercises in the morning will help to activate metabolism and will promote more active excretion of salts from the body.

In small quantities, table salt is harmless and even beneficial to the body. However, exceeding the intake of this substance leads to serious violations that are best avoided.