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Salt Consumption and Related Issues

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 11:16:21 +0000

Can’t imagine cooking without salt, right? Although our taste buds have no complaints about how salt makes our food tasty, our body has a love-hate relationship with sodium. On one hand it helps us maintain our body’s fluid balance, sends nerve impulses, and affects muscle function,On the other hand, excess sodium in your bloodstream increases your blood pressure.

Fun Fact: Salt and sodium are often used interchangeably but they’re not the same. Table salt (NaCl) comprises 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride!

Why is Too Much Salt Bad for You?

Too much salt in your body pulls water into your bloodstream, thereby increasing the total volume of blood flowing through it. This causes a spike in blood pressure. High blood pressure may injure or damage vessel walls and speed up the build-up of plaque which in turn blocks blood flow. It is also a major risk factor for heart disease. The extra water may also lead to bloating or weight gain.

Sources of Dietary Salt

Over 70 percent of the sodium we consume comes from processed, pre-packaged and restaurant food. In a standard diet, only 11 -15 percent of the total salt is added to food while cooking or eating.

Foods which contribute the most amount of sodium to our diets include:

Bread
Pizza
Cold cuts, bacon and processed or frozen meats contain more sodium than fresh meat.
Cheese
Soups
Fast foods
Prepared dinners or meals.
Condiments and sauces such as soy sauce, salad dressings, sauces, dips, ketchup, mustard.

To put things into perspective, let’s take soy sauce as an example. One tablespoon or 15 ml of soy sauce contains about 1000 mg of sodium. This is 2 times the basic minimum requirement per day. If we consider a can of chicken noodle soup labelled as having 25 percent less sodium content, the amount of sodium in one cup is still as high as 524 mg. Similarly, most commercially prepared food items are processed with high amounts of sodium which is way more than what your body requires. These types of processed foods usually taste good and leave us wanting more.Just imagine how much excess salt you have been consuming without even realising it!

Sometimes it is not possible to judge the sodium levels in packaged foods just by tasting it.Reading the nutrition labels on food items can help you identify and monitor how much sodium per portion you are consuming. It is generally recommended that you avoid products containing more than 200 mg of sodium per serving.

How Much Salt Should You Consume?

Your body doesn’t require more than 500 mg of sodium a day. To make it clearer, that’s less than 1/4^th of a teaspoon. The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 2,300 mg per day and an ideal limit of 1500 mg per day for most healthy adults. Excessive sodium consumption (>5000 mg per day) has been shown to produce a significant increase in blood pressure and has been linked with the onset of hypertension and its cardiovascular complications.

Consumption of less sodium helps curb the increase in blood pressure that occurs due to age. It also reduces the risk of heart disease, kidney disease, osteoporosis, stomach cancer and even headaches.

This goes to prove the age-old adage, that prevention is better than cure. So, even if you don’t have high blood pressure, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on your dietary salt intake.

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Making the most of your health insurance policy

Happily Health — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 05:29:00 +0000

Health is Wealth they always say, and here’s one more way of creating wealth from health….by picking the right insurance policy. In a simple and easy way, this article describes the 6 important aspects of a good insurance plan – from your budget to the renewability, to co-payments, to the all-important exclusions. Check it out!

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Source: Healthcare in India

The post Making the most of your health insurance policy first appeared on Happily Health.

Telemedicine, a boon for senior citizens

Happily Health — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 09:06:00 +0000

While there has been a legitimate concern around Teleconsultations with MCI and other state associations wishing to regulate it – the coming of COVID 19 has brought the importance of telemedicine to the forefront – especially for senior citizens. Watch this video of Ravi Ramaswamy from Philips discussing the impact telemedicine on seniors. In conversation with him are Dr. Neeraj Bhalla and Dr. Vallikiran from the fields of Cardiology and Psychiatry respectively.

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Source: Health Care in India

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Killers on the rise, says study

Happily Health — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 05:20:00 +0000

There is an alarming rise in heart diseases, stroke, diabetes and cancer in the last 25 years across the country. Specially heart diseases and stoke has increased by over 50% in almost every state. Together the two have contributed to 28.1% deaths in 2016, as compared to 15.2% in 1990. While the burden of heart attack and stroke has increased across the country, it has been the highest in less developed states. This finding is of major concern as these states already have a high percentage of chronic lung diseases and a range of other infectious and childhood diseases.

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Source: Vigyanprasar

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How air pollution affects diabetes

Happily Health — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 05:17:00 +0000

The harmful effects of air pollution are widely known. It contributes to heart, lung and brain related diseases and is a major cause of deaths in developing countries. According to a recent study, risk of diabetes has significantly increased due to air pollution. This happens when fine particles or particulate matter (PM) less than 2.5 microns or PM-2.5, present in the polluted air, enters the blood stream. These tiny particles are highly toxic and cause liver damage, thus increasing the risk of diabetes.

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Source: Vigyanprasar

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Half the people are unaware of their diabetes?

Happily Health — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 05:00:17 +0000

In a study conducted on approximately 7.2 lakh people, in the 15-49 years age group, 47.5% people were unaware of their diabetes status and therefore deprived of treatment. Out of 52.5% of diabetics aware of their disease, only half of them manage to keep it under control. As per the study, most people in poor and less educated rural households are least likely to get the required medical care. Diabetes is a rapidly growing challenge in India and a major cause of deaths due to kidney and heart diseases.

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Source: Vigyanprasar

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Mosquito coils and cigarettes make indoor air toxic

Happily Health — Mon, 10 Aug 2020 07:33:55 +0000

When we think of pollution, most of us think of outdoors but the air in your house could be polluted too. Indoor air pollution is caused by inefficient cooking fuel, cigarettes, mosquito coils and various other products. A recent study, focused mainly on two indoor pollutants – cigarettes and mosquito coils, found traces of heavy metals and particulate matter when these were burnt in closed environment. The study suggests replacing smoking-mosquito coils with non-smoking ones to reduce the health risk from prolonged exposure.

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Source: Vigyanprasar

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What You Need to Start Running

Happily Health — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 05:34:27 +0000

Running is one of the simplest sports and thankfully you don’t need too much complicated gear. However, for most people starting their running regimens, it helps to have a few basic items in their personal inventory.

Shoes: The most basic item needed for running are shoes. In fact, ill-fitting shoes are the principal cause of injuries. So, it is worthwhile to invest in a pair that is the correct fit and feels comfortable on the soles.

The most important thing to check is the fit with the arch of the feet – your feet can be overarched, flat or neutral. There are shoes that fit different types of arches.

Make sure there is some space between the tip of the shoe and your toes for frictionless movement while running.

You can choose thick soled shoes or thinner soles. Trail running would need thicker soles for higher comfort.

T-Shirts: It is better to avoid cotton shirts as the sweat sticks to them. The polyester running Ts absorbs the sweat to the outer surface to help it evaporate. This keeps the t-shirt comfortable and light.

Shorts: These should be light, breathable and comfortable. Cotton shorts become sweaty and heavy and stick to the skin. This can be both uncomfortable and cause skin chafing. Any pockets to carry keys and your phone are always helpful.

Others: The other gear a beginner can buy is not essentials but can make running more comfortable and enjoyable. These are things like an armband to carry the phone, a water bottle, an earphone for music, etc.

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How To Reduce the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease

Happily Health — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 05:45:18 +0000

Your arteries are like thin pipes, smooth and elastic; they carry blood from the heart to everywhere else in the body. The coronary arteries carry blood from the heart to the heart muscles themselves. You would want these pipes to always be clean and smooth so that blood can flow without any slow down or blockage; but due to various factors, plaque can start building on the inner walls of the arteries. The plaque also makes the inside of the walls gooey and so more cells, lipoproteins etc. get stuck to the walls and can make the arteries even narrower.

The formation of plaque can reduce or sometimes stop the flow of blood to the heart muscles, leading to various heart diseases.

The decrease in flow of blood can cause chest pain with stress or physical exertion, this is called Angina.

A part of the plaque can break free from the arterial wall and form a blood clot that could block the supply of blood to the heart. This is called a Heart Attack.If a blood vessel(artery, capillary or a vein) to the brain is blocked, then an Ischemic Stroke can take place. If a blood vessel inside the brain ruptures due to high blood pressure, one could get what is called a Haemorrhagic Stroke.

Earlier, coronary artery diseases were mostly seen in older people. But, with the increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes today, a lot of younger people are victims of cardiovascular diseases.

Here’s what you can do to keep your arteries healthy…

Get moving: It is now widely accepted that 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise works like a miracle drug to reduce heart related risks.

Eat Well: A diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, fish and moderate quantities of meat is best for health.

Watch that waistline: Excess weight is a major risk factor for heart diseases. A right balance of diet and exercises can help in controlling obesity.

Go smoke free: This is the cause of several diseases and reducing and/or eliminating smoking goes a long way in decreasing risks.

The post How To Reduce the Risk of Coronary Artery Disease first appeared on Happily Health.

Pre-diabetic tests for a diabetes free life

Happily Health — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 06:04:40 +0000

Diabetes affects millions of Indians and continues to rise exponentially. In addition to diabetics, the country also has a huge number of pre-diabetics. But timely diagnosis along with lifestyle changes can reverse pre-diabetes to a normal state. From numerous blood samples collected for the study, scientists found that in pre-diabetic states there was an abundance of three specific peptides bound to glucose out of the fourteen peptides of serum albumin. This insight could be helpful in diagnosing pre-diabetes from regular blood tests. Scientists are figuring out ways to make these tests readily available in diagnostic labs.

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Source: Vigyanprasar

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