High blood pressure (hypertension), coronary heart disease, irritability, fluid retention, workload on the kidneys, are some of the problems that could cause the excess sodium. In normal health, the kidneys have the ability to regulate the concentration of this mineral, and lead to increased production of urine, causing it to be thinner.
If consuming more than required, however the medium and long term excess sodium, has consequences in the body retaining water, forcing the heart, liver and kidneys to work beyond their capabilities.
The most obvious risk of excess sodium is more likely to develop hypertension, as water retention increases blood volume, and therefore the same pressure.
Things start to get complicated if there is water shortage, but with too much sodium can see associated illnesses such as kidney problems, heart disease, as well (hands, eyes and feet). The biggest drawback is that their effects do not appear immediately, but over time, so you should always be cautious about consumption. The difficulty with sodium is bad for the future, for our kidneys and hearts, and if we add to prior medical problems, or hereditary, such as hypertension, care should be even higher.
Given the characteristics mentioned above is very difficult to detect when people are consuming excess sodium, which is something that only becomes evident when it is long and has been used for a long time.
Some tips to be decreasing sodium intake.
* Reduce the consumption of snacks, chips, olives, among others, always read food labels when shopping and focusing on low or reduced sodium.
* Reduce consumption of canned and frozen foods, decrease to just adding salt to food when you are sitting at the table.
Learn how to spice up your meals with herbs and spices, use less broth in cube, tomato sauces, soups envelopes. and usually drop all processed foods and industrialized as preservatives have high sodium content.
* Periodically consult a specialist.
