Food is one of the major things that cuts across cultures, languages and people and this is so majorly because we need to satisfy the pangs of hunger any time they come calling. The most important sense organ when it comes to food is the sense of taste which is controlled by the tongue. Beyond this sense of taste, the food only completes the task of filling our stomach and nourishing our body. Although most food items come with their natural salt, we most times need to add salt so that these food can taste better.
What we used to believe about too much salt intake
Humans are wired differently and this difference applies to our sense organs too. While a person’s taste buds may be highly sensitive, the next person’s taste buds might be less sensitive and because of this disparities mostly, the level of salt intake varies for most of us. With several research carried out on the subject, we have been told that high level of salt content in food has negative effects especially because it heightens the risks of high blood pressure, liver and kidney diseases. Adhering to this directives will mean that we eat less salty food and sometimes food lacking in salt. Any price to pay for healthy living right?
The latest findings about salty food
Acclaimed Nutrition Diva, Monica Reinagel lays the premises for her claims in this article. She announced that salty foods can actually make one hungrier and also burn calories as implied by a new study. The study according to Reinagel was conducted on a small group of Russian cosmonauts who were being prepared for a space exhibition. She explained that researchers regularly tweaked the amount of salt in their food with ranges between 2300-4800 mg of sodium daily, but maintained the calorie levels. What the researchers noticed was however contrary to the perceived notion about too much salt intake. They found that with an increase in salt, the cosmonauts became hungrier. Reinagel also detailed a counter experiment performed on mice and she explained that in both man and mice, an increase in the amount of salt in food resulted to an increase in urine output even with less water intake owing to the fact that their bodies got rid of the excess salt through urine.
Helping the body’s defence
This research shows that the body is its own strongest defender. The defence mechanism in the body works but relies on the healthy habits we cultivate to keep it working. Therefore, it is not about whether research has shown that too much salt intake does no harm to the body or otherwise, we need to apply moderation to whatever we do especially as it concerns what we eat. The body’s defence system may be strong but much harm can be done before the body kicks out the unnecessary things.
Essentially, this is not a charge for you to know what too much salt does to the body but to live with moderation. Anything done in excess usually has an unpleasant repercussion, so take heed.
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