Here's what salt does to your heart and body
Your body uses sodium to regulate blood flow and blood pressure.
Sodium also acts as a signal molecule to help your muscles and nerves function properly.
Chloride helps the body regulate fluids, which is why when you have too much salt, your water levels can get whacky.
Source: Medline Plus
Eating too much salt can make you pee more, making you dehydrated and thirsty.
When you pee more, your body can lose too much calcium, which could lead to osteoporosis.
Too much salt can trigger the kidneys into keeping more water in the body, which could eventually lead to kidney failure over time.
Sources: Blood Pressure UK, CDC
Water retention can also cause swelling of the hands, arms, and legs — a condition called edema.
People who eat too much salt also tend to get stomach ulcers, though scientists aren't sure how this could happen.
Source: Gut
When more fluid courses through your veins, it can cause them to stiffen over time, leading to high blood pressure.
Sources: CDC, Harvard, Cleveland Clinic
Having high blood pressure can increase your risk for heart disease and stroke — two of the leading causes of death in the US.
Sources: CDC, Tech Insider, Harvard
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