Moderation is everything when it comes to keeping up with a healthy lifestyle. As is the case with nearly everything in the entire world, too much of anything can lead to negative consequences. This is especially true of the ways in which we treat our bodies and, more specifically, the things we decide to feed it.
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One ingredient that humans seem to almost universally all have a hard time consuming less of is sodium chloride—or, in layman's terms, salt. But what would actually happen if we even just minimally decreased the amount of salt we consumed daily?
At risk of high blood pressure
According to medical experts, who have long advised against the excessive intake of salt, too much of the seasoning could skyrocket one's blood pressure.
This of course is just the beginning of the negative effects it could provoke in your body. In the UK alone, more than 14 million Brits struggle with high blood pressure—a disorder that is conducive to heart attacks and strokes and many more potentially life-threatening cardiovascular complications.
How the body reacts to less sodium
As it stands today, the average American consumer's diet has salt levels that are one-third higher than the recommended daily limit of 2,300mg according to the American Heart Association (AHA). But this recommendation only applies to people who are relatively healthy. For those in society who have high blood pressure, the AHA recommends no more than 1,500mg.
Stanford University conducted a study back in 2010 in which researchers found that cutting a mere 350mg of sodium per day (that's less than a sixth of a teaspoon!) can actually lower blood pressure. By doing so, one million strokes and heart attacks could be prevented in the long run.
Although cutting back on salt completely is near impossible, reducing it will not only make you feel and look better (salt retains water and can make you appear bloated) but it will add many years to your lifespan.
