Especially for those of you who are in the treatment process, consuming excess salt will inhibit the work of blood pressure drugs (diuretics) so that it is less than optimal. You must pay attention to several things in reducing salt consumption every day, including limiting processed foods that have a high salt content. Likewise, when serving food on your family’s menu, limit salt intake so that it can better maintain healthy organ function.
Here are some of the body’s organ functions that are hampered due to excessive salt consumption:
1. Kidneys
Your body removes unnecessary fluids by filtering the blood through the kidneys. In the kidneys extra fluid is sucked out and put into the bladder which is then converted into urine. In this process, the kidneys use additional water in the blood, which uses the balance of sodium and potassium to draw water in the cell walls from the bloodstream into the collecting ducts that lead to the bladder. Consuming excess salt increases the amount of sodium in your bloodstream thereby reducing the ability of the kidneys to excrete water. This results in high blood pressure due to extra fluid and extra pressure on the fine blood vessels leading to the kidneys. Over time the extra pressure can damage the kidneys which is known as kidney disease. This reduces the ability of the kidneys to filter waste products and toxins from the body. If kidney disease is treated and blood pressure is not lowered, the damage can lead to kidney failure. Kidney failure is when the kidneys are no longer able to filter the blood and the body slowly becomes poisoned by the body’s own waste products.
2. Arteries
The extra blood pressure caused by consuming too much salt puts extra pressure on the inside of your arteries. To deal with the extra stress, the small muscles in the artery walls become stronger and thicker. However this only makes the space inside the arteries smaller and raises your blood pressure higher. This cycle of increasing blood pressure can eventually cause the arteries to become narrow so that they then become completely blocked. When this happens, the organs that receive blood from the arteries are deprived of the oxygen and nutrients they need. This can result in damaged organs and can be fatal.
3. Heart
Consuming too high salt can cause arterial disorders which can affect your heart health. At first, it causes a slight decrease in the amount of blood reaching the heart. With this condition, the cells in the liver don’t work properly because they don’t receive enough oxygen and nutrients. However, lowering blood pressure can help to alleviate some problems and reduce the risk of greater damage. Unrestricted salt intake can result in damage caused by the extra blood pressure which can become so severe that the arteries become blocked. Then the part of the heart that receives blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs, triggering a heart attack.
4. The brain
As with other organ functions, consuming too much salt will cause interference with the arteries to the brain. At first, it causes a slight decrease in the amount of blood reaching the brain. This can lead to dementia (known as vascular dementia). With this condition, the cells in the brain don’t work properly because they don’t receive enough oxygen and nutrients. When this happens, the part of the brain that receives blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs. So that it triggers several disorders in the brain that cause stroke.
