Why and How You Should Not Eat Too Much Salt

You need oxygen to survive, but, ironically, oxygen is also your undoing. As you breathe in oxygen, you also give out carbon dioxide, which is toxic to your health. Nature has designed this unique built-in mechanism to guarantee your mortality. You get life-giving oxygen, but you also receive life-damaging byproducts in the form of free radicals. You are just like a log of wood burning oxygen for fuel. Fortunately, your body is also equipped with antioxidants that not only prevent free radical formation but also defuse the free radicals already formed. So, there is always a constant combat between antioxidants and free radicals within your body.

No matter what, free radicals may have damaged your cell walls. When cell walls are damaged, they become more difficult to metabolize the sodium intake, leading to more sodium leaks and hence further sodium metabolic impairment. Blood vessels damaged by excessive sodium leaks may result in swelling and edema. In this way, your arteries may become clogged and your blood pressure elevates. 

Cellular damage to the DNA by free radicals is a major contributing factor not only to heart disease but also to many human cancers, as well as damage to the neurons in the brain. Therefore, reducing salt in your daily diet is important.

To prevent further free radical damage to your cells and blood vessels, reduce salt intake. You have heard too often: Cut back on salt! But it is easier said than done, because nearly all processed foods contain some, if not excessive, amount of sodium chloride. Even Jell-O pudding may contain as much as 400 mg of sodium chloride. So there is salt in almost any supermarket food item 

(1) Always read food labels before any food purchase. Unless it says “no salt added,” there is always a certain amount of sodium chloride. 

(2) Reduce voluntary salting. Never reach out for a saltshaker in a restaurant. 

(3) Lay off all high-salt condiments, such as soy sauce, steak sauces, gravies, and relishes

(4) Restrict consumption of salt-laden foods, such as canned soups, potato chips, and pretzels, among other junk food items. 

(5) Eat whole foods instead of their processed counterparts. Eat living and raw foods instead of processed foods, which are always loaded with salt.

Reducing salt intake is an important component of a healthy longevity diet. Eating right is the art of living well.

Copyright© by Stephen Lau

Copyright© by Stephen Lau