It is said that eating salt in right amount is good. Explain.

Question

Why is it important to eat the right amount of salt? Explain.

Answer 1

Salt provides Sodium in the body and this is an important electrolyte. When sodium is too low in the body a condition know as hyponatremia can result and this can cause issues and imbalance in the body especially when it comes to neurological or CNS (Central Nervous System) problems. Hyponatremia is not good for the body, it can cause predisposition towards seizure activity and adverse central nervous system problems. Also some salts contain a component of iodine. Iodinized salts are great for the body because they provide iodine which plays a role in helping to regulate the thyroid gland in the Endocrine system of the body.

Answer 2

Salt is important for regulating the movement of fluids between our cells and blood through osmosis.

Our body wants to have relatively equal concentrations of salt in our blood and cells. This means that if you have too much water in your blood, water will move to where there is more salt in the cells. This can lead to your cells expanding and eventually bursting.

This is a problem seen in marathon runners. Sometimes runners drink too much water. Their blood becomes dilute with water, and the water they drank moves into their cells. This can cause swelling of the brain and potentially death.

On the other hand, too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. This is because water is drawn out of the cells into the blood. This can potentially lead to stroke.