Daily salt intake per person

Humans cannot live without salt. Salt can maintain the normal metabolism of our body. The main component of edible salt is sodium oxide, which can effectively activate the body's muscle contraction and other functions. It is also used in many food preparations. When making pastries, there is also a salty pepper and salt flavor. However, it must be consumed in moderation. The daily intake of edible salt per person should be controlled within a range.

Humans cannot live without salt. Without salt, the human body cannot maintain a normal state. The main component of table salt is sodium chloride, of which 39% is sodium and 61% is chloride.

When these two compounds form a solution in the human body, they decompose into sodium and chloride ions, each playing a different role. Sodium ions can maintain the body's blood volume and cell osmotic pressure, as well as the normal excitability and irritability of nerves and muscles; they can activate various functions of the human body, such as muscle contraction. Chloride ions can help regulate the body's acid-base balance, produce gastric acid and activate amylase, which is extremely important for life.

Although salt is known as the "mother of all flavors" and has outstanding contributions, if people consume too much or too little salt, it will have adverse effects on the human body. Medical experts point out that the appropriate daily salt intake for an adult is 3-6 grams, that is, 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. If the amount is lower than this, it can lead to low sodium and low chloride in the body. When the body has low sodium, its normal physiological functions are difficult to maintain, and the body will show general weakness; when the body has low chloride, it will lead to hypochlorite alkali poisoning. If it exceeds this amount, it will increase the burden on the kidneys and blood vessels, causing worsening kidney disease, hypertension and other diseases.

Relevant survey data show that the current daily salt intake per person in my country is around 8-10 grams, while people who like to eat pickles have a daily salt intake of more than 15 grams, far exceeding the required standard. People in southern my country have a lighter taste, while people in northern China have a heavier taste. The average daily salt intake is about 15 grams. However, people in some areas of Tibet have an even heavier taste, with an average daily salt intake of about 20 grams. Obviously this is not good for human health. So, what adverse effects does too much salt have on the human body?

1. Excessive salt intake can cause high blood pressure. As we all know, the kidneys are important organs for excreting waste from the body. If people consume too much salt for a long time, the kidneys must excrete salt as much as possible in order to reduce it to normal. If the kidneys cannot excrete salt normally, salt retention will occur in the body. For every gram of salt retained, 111.1 grams of water must be retained as a carrier (this is why people drink more water after eating pickles). This is made into "normal saline" and stored in various tissues of the human body, forming physiological edema and increasing blood pressure. For people with poor renal function or nephritis, excessive excretion will affect the kidneys and aggravate the condition. For middle-aged and elderly people or those suffering from cardiovascular diseases, they may develop hypertension due to the high pressure of blood vessels caused by excess "normal saline" for many years.

2. Pregnant women who consume too much salt may develop anemia. The occurrence of anemia is due to the fact that a large amount of salt water holds more water in the human body. However, if pregnant women consume too little salt, they will experience painful cramps and their whole body will twitch in great pain.

3. Excessive salt intake can cause a variety of diseases in children. Excessive salt intake can not only cause high blood pressure and edema in children, but also lead to upper respiratory tract infections. First, too much salt will reduce the secretion of oral saliva, which is more conducive to the existence of various bacteria and viruses in the upper respiratory tract; secondly, due to the osmotic effect of salt, the normal parasitic flora in the upper respiratory tract can be killed, thereby causing dysbacteriosis and leading to disease; thirdly, too much salt can inhibit the reproduction of mucosal epithelial cells, causing them to lose their disease resistance.

These factors will weaken the ability of the upper respiratory tract mucosa to resist disease invasion. In addition, children's immune system is lower than that of adults and they are more susceptible to cold. Therefore, various bacteria and viruses will take the opportunity to enter the body and cause upper respiratory tract infection. In addition, too much salt can directly affect the absorption of zinc and potassium in children, leading to zinc and potassium deficiency in children.