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Inside This Issue
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We Can Now Bring Pro PT to You!
Patient of the Month Why Socialization Is Important for Seniors
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Introducing Our Telehealth Program! No-Fuss Chicken and Rice Soup
Negative Impacts of Too Much Salt
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DON’T MAKE SALT THE ENEMY The Negative Effects of Excess Salt Intake
Extra Thirsty As you may imagine, while your body works overtime to use water to balance the extra salt, you may feel extremely thirsty and your mouth may become dry.
Sodium chloride, or salt, is made up of roughly 40% sodium and 60% chloride — and it serves many purposes. It gives bland food a bit of flavor, serves as a preservative because bacteria is not able to survive and thrive in high levels of sodium, helps us to stay hydrated, improves vascular health, balances our electrolytes, and even helps prevent muscle cramping. However, too much salt is not a good thing. In fact, that can cause some pretty serious short-term and long-term effects.
Long-Term Effects Blood Pressure and Heart Complications
Short-Term Effects Water Retention
Your heart will have to work harder when extra fluid is present. For those who chronically consume salt in large quantities, this can become a problem that can even lead to a risk of heart failure or stroke. In addition to this, research suggests that lowering your salt intake can significantly aid in lowering blood pressure levels. Stomach Cancer Risk Gastric (or stomach) cancer is a serious risk of excessively consuming salt. Studies have linked high salt diets to stomach cancer. In fact, one study found that individuals who consume 3 grams of salt daily have an increased risk of 68% of getting stomach cancer.
If you’ve ever eaten a salt-rich meal, you may notice your body becoming a bit more “puffy” than normal. Bloating is a common response to a high salt intake as your kidneys work to maintain a certain water and salt balance in your body. To compensate for the consumption of extra salt, your body hangs onto more water. Blood Pressure Spikes Consuming sodium in large quantities, as mentioned above, causes your body to hold onto excess fluid. When this happens, your heart takes on an extra burden, which raises your blood pressure temporarily.
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