Consuming Too Much Salt?

​Making healthy food choices affects multiple areas of health, including brain function.  If you are consuming too much sodium and not getting enough potassium, you may be heading to a decline in cognition.  

Consuming Too Much Sodium?
By Pierre Mouchette | Bits-n-Pieces

If you are consuming too much sodium and not getting enough potassium, you may be heading to a decline in cognition.  Recent studies show that a high dietary sodium intake is associated with cognitive decline and that higher levels of dietary potassium are linked to improved cognitive function.

• Sodium and potassium are minerals the human body requires at specific levels.
  
  
• Recent studies show that consuming high levels of sodium in a diet is associated with cognitive decline.  The studies also suggest that diets high in potassium are associated with higher cognitive functions. 
  
  
• Decreasing sodium intake and increasing potassium intake can help boost brain health.

 
Diet is a crucial aspect of overall health
While the body produces some components of these minerals, you can also get vital nutrients from food sources.  Making healthy food choices affects multiple areas of health, including brain function.  
 
 
Salt (sodium chloride) - is a mineral substance of great importance to human and animal health.  It helps the body regulate fluid levels, blood pressure, and muscle and nerve function.  Sodium is naturally present in many foods and is added to others to enhance flavors and preserve freshness.  Although a minimum amount of sodium is required for good health, a diet high in sodium can lead to elevated blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, osteoporosis, kidney disease, and stomach cancer.  On average, Americans eat more than 3,400 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day.  The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 (mg) a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults.
 
The mineral form halite, or rock salt, is common salt to distinguish it from a class of chemical compounds called salts.  To ensure this hygroscopic (water-attracting) substance remains free-flowing, small quantities of sodium aluminosilicate, tricalcium phosphate, or magnesium silicate are added.  Iodized salt is salt to which small amounts of potassium iodide have been added and is widely used in areas where iodine is lacking from the diet.  A deficiency can cause thyroid gland swelling, commonly called goiter.  
 
 
Potassium - is an essential mineral critical to many body functions, including the delivery of nerve signals, contraction of muscles, regulation of heartbeats and blood pressure, movement of nutrients into cells, and the removal of cellular waste.
 
The National Institutes of Health recommend that all adults consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium daily.  Nursing women 5,100 milligrams daily for optimal health because a portion of their consumption goes to their unborn infant.  Infants and children up to 13 require between 400 and 3,800 milligrams, depending on their age and weight.
 
A diet rich in potassium is associated with impressive health benefits.  It may prevent or alleviate a variety of health problems, including:

• High blood pressure - many studies have shown that potassium-rich diets can lower blood pressure, especially for those with high blood pressure
  
  
• Salt sensitivity - people with this condition may experience a 10% increase in blood pressure after eating salt.  A potassium-rich diet may eliminate salt sensitivity.
  
  
• Stroke - several studies have shown that a potassium-rich diet may reduce the risk of stroke by up to 27%.
  
  
• Osteoporosis - studies show that a potassium-rich diet may help prevent osteoporosis, a condition associated with an increased risk of bone fractures.
  
  
• Kidney stones - studies have found that potassium-rich diets are associated with a significantly lower risk of kidney stones than diets low in this mineral.