CONSUMING TOO MUCH SALT AFFECTS BRAIN

CONSUMING TOO MUCH SALT AFFECTS BRAIN

Insomnia (the inability to sleep) and nervous tension is a direct result of there being too much salt in the diet.

According to Dr. Miller, the reason for this is as follows: By reducing the salt content in the diet, the body fluids become less acidic. This is because the reduction in the salt leads to the build up of calcium in the tissues. The greater alkalization of the body fluids makes the person less restless and more relaxed.

Research has indicated that the excessiveness of salt in our bodies can cause the tiny blood vessels to swell with water and create pressure within the cranium, leading to tension headaches and migraines.
It is strange that we use so much salt in our diet. This trend has increased because we are veering more and more towards fast foods and preserved foods, all of which contain high quantities of salt. Salt is a man made product which seems to be an unnecessary inclusion in our diet if we consider that it creates problems like tension, nervousness, excitability and high blood pressure. With reduced salt intakes, all these problems can be reduced or eliminated.

Salt intake is linked with hypertension, and people with high blood pressure problem are advised to reduce the salt in their diet. It is a known fact that high blood pressure causes the blood supply to the brain to be reduced, and this affects the functioning of the brain. If salt is reduced in the diet, memory will improve.

Your body requires a certain amount of minerals to maintain a healthy balance. Mineral imbalance in the body can also create tensions and headaches and other health problems.
High salt flavoured diets prevent the absorption of calcium by the body. Calcium is a nerve soothing mineral. Doctors link emotional disorders with the lack of calcium in the diet (emotional disorders generally create allergies and sinus-cold problems). These emotional disorders can be reduced by the presence of calcium in the system, since calcium soothes the body. However, a high salt diet would prevent the calcium to be present in the body. So by simply making the patient eat a salt free diet, the metabolic function could be restored and the emotional stress induced problems be removed.

Similarly too, salt drives an important mineral like potassium out of the body. Potassium required for maintaining a healthy acid-alkaline balance of the tissues. Without enough potassium, the nerves get over wrought, leading to nervous disorders.
There is a correlation between those who have a high salt diet and heavy smokers. Salt and tobacco have often been found to be responsible or contributory to nervous breakdowns. This is due to this reason. Salt intake narrows the arteries, thus reducing blood supply to the brain. Smoking has a similar effect the combination of the two becomes lethal, leading to reduction of oxygen supply to the brain, and creating the nervous imbalance. Some people have wide blood vessels, and that could be one reason why they can smoke and eat high salted foods and yet avoid the danger of nervous breakdown. Those with already narrow blood vessels have to be more careful, since further restrictions of their blood supply is caused by eating salted foods or smoking.

Eliminating salt while cooking and from the dining table is a good way to deal with the problem. Avoid reaching out for salt flavoured foods like buttered popcorn and potato chips. Use herbs like basil, all-spice, curry, ginger, lemon or lime juice, saffron, mustard, sweet paprika, rosemary, sesame or poppy seeds for flavouring your food. These can be used in limitless ways to add the required flavour to yourfoods, without the addition of salt.