2 week today to applications opening for the April risk free trial of the Group Transformtion Programme
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We mentioned yesterday that Jo, one of our ninjas at Macc, was asking us about salt the other day.
Coincidentally and irrelevantly, Jo lives round the corner from me.
As she’s struggling to get her salt consumption down.
She asked if we could do a blog on it.
As, like most people, she finds it easier to make a decision with more information.
Information is power as they say.
Knowing exactly what affect something will have on your body when consumed can instantly make it a lot less appealing.
I know exactly how my body will respond to a slice of cake.
How it will put me in more of a fat storage mode.
And this easily counteracts any temptation.
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So, salt.
As with a lot of food stuffs, its good in the right doses.
It has certain essential functions in the body.
Infact, it is an essential mineral – as the body can’t produce it itself, we need it in our diet.
It regulates volumes of fluid in the body.
It also aids the uptake of various other nutrients into cells.
And plays an important role in the digestion system.
But I very much doubt anyone will not get enough in their diet, so am not too concerned about that.
The UK government recommends 6g a day max for adults.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), however, estimates that the current global average intake of salt is between 9g and 12g per day.
Too much salt is linked with high blood pressure.
####Technical explanation alert – feel free to skip#####
If you want to know why – it is thought that having high levels of sodium in the body causes a decrease in the synthesis of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide is an arteriolar vasodilator.
This means that it causes the blood vessels to widen, reducing the resistance the blood experiences as it flows.
Sodium is thought to do this by increasing the levels of a molecule called asymmetric dimethyl L-arginine. This molecule is an inhibitor of nitric oxide production, and thus sodium indirectly causes the reduction of nitric oxide biosynthesis.
Overall then, this means that there is less nitric oxide. Consequently, the blood vessels are not as wide and thus the blood experiences more resistance, causing higher blood pressure.
####Back to normal talk####
Elevated blood pressure is strongly linked to several medical problems including heart attack, stroke and kidney damage.
Meaning if you eat too much salt you are statistically more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or kidney damage.
High salt intake has also been linked to osteoporosis, a condition that causes weakening of the bones making them more susceptible to fractures.
####Technical explanation alert 2 – feel free to skip again#####
Salt is proposed to affect bones by causing increased calcium excretion in urine.
Calcium is, of course, important for bone strength and health.
You can be eating all the leafy veg and drinking all the milk you like – if you’re consuming too much salt it won’t get where it needs to.
####Normal talk####
Stomach Cancer
Although salt is necessary in the production of stomach acid; it seems too much salt can actually be bad news for the stomach.
The physiolofical reason for this hasn’t been proven beyond doubt yet.
But all studies seem to show this as far as we can see.
There is debate and confusion on lots of areas on nutrition.
But I think everyone is in agreement that too much salt is bad.
And that it will mean you are statistically more likely to suffer from heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage, osteoporosis and stomach cancer if you consume too much.
The easiest ways to reduce salt intake is to go for fresh, natural food.
Man-made, processed food (or crap as we like to call it) nearly always has more salt in.
Eat fresh (and I don’t mean Subway) and you should drop into the ‘safe’ zone.
Much love,
Jon ‘We Do Chicken Right’ Hall and Matt ‘Finger Lickin Good’ Nicholson
