Salt plays an important and indispensable role in maintaining osmotic pressure, keeping the balance of water inside, outside the cells and in the blood vessels. In addition, salt also contributes to maintain cell potentials, conduction of nerve impulses, ensuring acid-base balance.
However, experts recommend that despite its benefit, we, like anything else, should not overdo salt. Some common diseases resulting from excess use of salt can be listed such as: high blood pressure, dry mouth, water retention, headache … On the contrary,lack of salt makes us susceptible to symptoms such as muscle fatigue, muscle paralysis, cramps ..
Although eating salty has been shown to affect heart health, eating too bland diet is not a good solution. In fact, this is a dietary mistake many people make. According to the scientific definition, the total amount of NaCl taken into the body in 24 hours less than 2,400mg (about 1 teaspoon) will be considered a low-salt diet. People on an excessive salt diet will have low blood sodium levels. This has negative effects on your health, and can even lead to death. Reduced blood sodium causes the muscular system to be dysfunctional and makes the water flow in the body easier to escape through the interstitial spaces leading to edema.
On the other hand, a bland diet is also not a good solution. In fact, it’s a dietary mistake that many Vietnamese encounter. According to the scientific definition, if the total amount of NaCl taken into the body in 24 hours is less than 2,400mg (about 1 teaspoon), it will be considered a low-salt diet. People on this diet will experience low blood sodium levels that leads to various negative consequences and even death. Reduced blood sodium causes the muscular system to be dysfunctional and allows the water flow to escape easily through the interstitial spaces leading to edema.
So what is the Balanced salt diet?
The National Institute of Nutrition advise that in order to keep a healthy body, the recommended daily salt intake (including salt, fish sauce, soup powder …) should be controlled at about 6 – 8g.
(Department of Health of Ninh Thuan province, 2017)
