Health Risks of Dietary Salt

Authors: Rafia Bano* and Salma Yousef

Volume 2, Issue 1

Abstract

Besides raising the blood pressure dietary salt is responsible for several other harmful effects. The most important are a number which, though independent of the arterial pressure, also harm the cardiovascular system. A high salt intake is also responsible for increase in the mass of the left ventricle, thickens and stiffens conduit arteries and thickens and narrows resistance arteries, including the coronary and renal arteries. It also increases the chance of strokes, the severity of cardiac failure and platelets aggression. In renal disease, a high salt intake increases the rate of renal functional deterioration. Apart from its effect on the cardiovascular system dietary salt has an effect on calcium and bone metabolism, which highlights the finding that in post-menopausal women salt intake controls bone density of the upper femur and pelvis. Dietary salt controls the incidence of carcinoma of the stomach and there is some evidence which suggests that salt is associated with the severity of asthma in male asthmatic subjects. The intake of salt in our diet must be on balance, because the high Salt intake is associated with the occurrence of stomach cancer, Osteoporosis, Obesity, Kidney Stones, Kidney Disease, Ménière’s Disease, Diabetes, Liver problems, cardiovascular disease, Inflammation and sleep problems, and not just Hypertension. Keeping the above facts in mind the Objectives of the present review study was to clarify what is the diseases and harmful effects of high salt intake in addition to Hypertension and to explain the relationship between high salt intake and these diseases and problems.

Keywords:

Dietary salt; Left ventricular mass; Conduit and Resistance arteries; Strokes; Renal function; Bone mass

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