Salt, in particular sodium, is prevalent in the modern diet due to heavy inclusion in processed and convenience foods. Eating too much salt can result in elevated blood pressure, water retention, dehydration and more. Increasing your water intake when you eat too much salt can help mitigate the effects, but the most effective method is to avoid high salt intake altogether.
Sodium is an essential mineral; your body requires it, in moderation, to function. The electrical signals that drive your brain, heart, nerves and muscles rely on sodium. Your body is tuned to keep sodium at a constant level.
Healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily; do not eat more than 1,500 milligrams if you have high blood pressure or other risk factors for heart disease, according to MayoClinic.com.
High Salt Effects
A surge of sodium from a high-salt meal drives your body to compensate. Urine production increases to expel sodium. Sodium is driven from the blood into surrounding tissues and diluted with fluid, causing bloating and water retention. The hormone aldosterone increases to keep sodium in the blood at a normal level. Persistent elevation of aldosterone can contribute to cardiovascular and kidney disease.
A healthy man should drink approximately 3 liters, or about 100 ounces, of water daily; a woman should drink 2.2 liters, or about 75 ounces, according to MayoClinic.com. The loss of water and sodium via urine can contribute to dehydration. You should increase your water intake with a high-salt meal to compensate. Dehydration causes a hormonal response that can worsen water and salt retention as your body tries to avoid dehydration.
The full recovery from a high-salt meal may take several days. Do not consume water in excess of 150 percent of your normal daily amount, as it may worsen the effects. Other minerals lost with urine can trigger your body to hold on to the minerals it has, including sodium, worsening and prolonging the effects of your high salt meal.
Some foods high in sodium may not be salty to taste. Sodium added during food processing may not contribute to taste. Avoid any foods that contain more than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving, according to MayoClinic.com. Pay attention to the serving size used on the food label; it may not be equivalent to what you would eat as a serving. Be wary of food labels such as "No Salt Added," "Reduced Sodium" or "Light Salt," as they may still be very high in sodium.
- MayoClinic.com: Sodium: How to Tame Your Salt Habit Now
- MayClinic.com: Water: How Much Should You Drink Every Day?
- Journal of Hypertension: Effects of High Sodium Intake on Cardiovascular Aldosterone Synthesis in Stroke-prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
- Hypertension: Aldosterone, Dietary Salt, and Renal Disease
- water image by Ross Young from Fotolia.com