Too Much Sodium May Harm A Healthy Body
By Tom Herrin
With the number of things people are into these days for their health, they often have the choice between what to cut out or reduce because it is bad and what to add or increase because it is good. They have to be in tune with their own bodies. What feels right or wrong, combined with some useful education and information, is important. Once they are armed with a little knowledge, reading labels can be a real eye-opener. Many times, people assume something is good or healthy because they have been eating it for a long time. It is not always so. Sodium is one of those things that can be almost unnoticed because people are accustomed to the taste of the food. Many soups and breakfast meats are full far beyond the recommended daily requirement, and sodium can do some major damage to the body.
For Some People, It May Be A Recipe For High Blood Pressure
When people take in excess sodium, their body tries to balance it out by retaining water. This will increase the blood pressure due to the fact that there is more fluid. The kidneys have to work harder to process all of this extra fluid. The heart also must pump harder to move the additional blood. This can cause the blood vessels to stiffen, increasing the strain on the heart.
Some Cultures Are Proof of the Problems
Some studies have been done on the levels of sodium in people’s bodies and their blood pressure. The groups with higher amounts of sodium have higher blood pressure. Those with lower levels of sodium have lower blood pressure. In China, the number one cause of preventable deaths is high blood pressure with more than 1 million per year.
Potassium Can Provide Some Relief
While sodium is something that really needs to be monitored, potassium is something that many people simply don’t get enough of. It can remove some of the sodium from the blood and relax the blood vessels. Both of these can help lower blood pressure. This is not a suggestion that you should eat what you want and try to detox yourself with potassium, but it would be ideal for you to reduce the amount of sodium you take in and increase the amount of potassium. There is usually plenty of potassium in fresh fruits and vegetables. Developing a taste for the right foods may be a simple way to avoid harming a healthy body.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Bluffton, S.C.