It’s hard for us to imagine a life without salt. We cook with it, season with it, and even add it to aquariums and pools. Salt is found in just about everything we eat and drink.
Salt, or sodium, has been linked to high blood pressure. By causing damage to your blood vessels and arteries, chronically high blood pressure can increase your risk of several health complications–including heart disease.
Salt Is Necessary For Health
Too much salt might harm you; however, salt happens to be one of those essential minerals your body needs to function correctly. Salt is one of the body’s electrolytes, minerals that create positively charged ions in the body.
Most of your body’s stores of sodium are stored in the blood and overall levels are controlled by the kidneys. You lose salt when you sweat or urinate, so maintaining a healthy amount–not too much or too little–is important.
Salt helps to keep your fluid levels in balance, supports nerve function, and plays a vital role in muscle activity.
How Much Is Too Much?
For years health experts have been encouraging people to limit their intake of sodium. It’s estimated that your body only needs 186 mg of sodium per day to function correctly. However, intaking this little sodium and still intaking the calories you need to function would be difficult.
As such, the Institute of Medicine recommends that you aim for 1500 mg of sodium per day. The USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend intaking less than 2300 mg of salt per day. The WHO suggests 2000 mg per day. Essentially, most health organizations recommend that the average person intake around 2000 mg per day–somewhere near a teaspoon of sodium.
Intaking so little sodium might seem like an impossible task. After all, a good portion of the salt the average consumer absorbs comes through processed and pre-packaged foods.
How can you make sure to get the nutrition you need without consuming too much sodium?
One of the best ways to limit your sodium and still get the right balance of nutrients is through healthy meal planning. And Fit Five Meals is here to help. With fresh, nutritious, well-balanced meals to fit your life, you can be sure that you’re getting what you need without all the sodium added to other meals.