Many of us love salty snacks and savory foods.
But how do you know if you are eating too much salt?
Or, perhaps, too little?
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When it comes to salt, it is entirely possible to be gettingthe wrong amount.
Its all a question of balance, explainsDr.
In this Goldilocks situation, what is the ideal amount of salt?
And, what happens if you eat either too much or not enough?
Read on to find out.
Too little salt can lead tofatigueand circulatory problemsand even promote insulin resistance and increase blood fats, i.e.
cholesterol and triglycerides, says Ahlemann.
The same goes if you participate in high-performance sports like long-distancerunning.
That said, the majority of us eat too much salt rather than too little.
How much salt per day should we eat?
The FDArecommendswe eat about 2,300 mg of salt per dayso, roughly the amount of a teaspoon.
However, most Americans eat about 3,400 mg a day and men tend to eatmore saltthan women.
What happens if you eat too much salt?
Luckily, you could usually tell pretty easily whether you are eating too much salt.
If you are constantlyvery thirsty, this may indicate that your salt consumption is too high.
The body tries to compensate for the increased sodium concentration by simply requesting more water to dilute the salt.
A secondary and annoying symptom of eating too much salt?
Making frequent trips to the bathroom.
Drinking more often and the resulting urination can disrupt the electrolyte balance.
Although salt has no calories, it can still lead to the appearance of rapid weight gain.
The body tries to compensate for increased salt levelsas already mentionedby trying to thin the blood.
to thin the blood, it first has to absorb water and hold on to it, explains Ahlemann.
Eventually, the body does gradually excrete the water, which reduces the appearance of extra weight.
But the temporary water retention causes the weight to quickly increase, says Ahlemann.
Depending on how well the kidneys are working, the breakdown can take a few days.
How to eat less salt
If you eat natural foods, i.e.
not ready-made meals, the likelihood of consuming too much salt is greatly reduced, says Ahlemann.
you could also try seasoning your food with spices, herbs, and nutritional yeast instead of salt.
Youll be surprised how quickly your sense of taste recalibrates.
