High salt or high sugar: Which is more harmful?

High salt or high sugar: which is more harmful to the human body? Salt and sugar are common condiments. If consumed in moderation, they are beneficial to the body. However, excessive amounts can induce various health problems.  Many people are familiar with the hazards of the two, but which is more serious?

 The harm of high salt

Salt is known as the “first of a hundred flavors”. Not only that, the sodium ions and chloride ions provided by table salt maintain the osmotic pressure and acid-base balance of the extracellular fluid, and maintain the stress of nerves and muscles and regulate physiological functions. Both play an important role. The “Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents” recommends that healthy adults should not consume more than 6g of salt per day, but in fact, the average daily salt intake of Chinese residents has exceeded 10g. The harm caused by excessive salt should not be underestimated!

1. Increase the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Many studies have confirmed that salt intake is closely related to the incidence of hypertension. When too much salt is taken in, in order to maintain fluid balance, extracellular fluid will increase, blood volume will also increase, and blood pressure will also increase. And high blood pressure will further lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. According to research, about 1.65 million people worldwide die each year from cardio-cerebrovascular diseases caused by excessive salt consumption!

2. Increase the burden on the kidneys

The kidney is an important metabolic organ of the human body, and about 95% of the salt in the human body is excreted through the kidney in the form of urine. Excessive salt will increase the burden on the kidneys. If it cannot be discharged in time, it will cause edema, which further increases the burden on the kidneys. In addition, studies have shown that excessive salt will increase the protein in the urine, and the increase in urine protein is a danger signal that kidney function is damaged!

3. Increase the risk of osteoporosis

Sodium ions need the assistance of calcium ions when they are excreted from the body. For every 1000mg of sodium excreted, about 26mg of calcium is lost. That is to say, the more sodium that needs to be excreted, the greater the consumption of calcium, and the risk of osteoporosis. Bigger. In addition, excessive calcium ions in the urine can increase the risk of kidney stones.

4. Damage to the gastric mucosa

The main component of salt is sodium chloride. The chloride ion in it will increase the concentration of gastric acid. High concentration of gastric acid will corrode the gastric mucosa and induce various gastric diseases.

5. Respiratory tract infection

Excessive salt can inhibit the activity of respiratory tract cells, reduce oral saliva secretion, thereby reducing the disease resistance of the respiratory system, increasing the chance of viruses and bacteria in the respiratory tract infection, such as colds, pharyngitis and other upper respiratory tract inflammation may occur frequently.

6. Obesity

We know that eating more sugar will make you fat, but we don’t know that too much salt will also make you fat. A high-salt diet will promote the secretion of insulin in the body and increase fat storage, which not only leads to obesity, but also increases the risk of diabetes.

The harm of high sugar

As early as 2006, the World Health Organization came to the conclusion that “sugar addiction is more harmful than smoking”! Long-term high-sugar diet can shorten life span by 10-20 years! The “Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents” recommends that the daily sugar intake per person should not exceed 50 grams, and it is best to limit it to 25 grams. But even if you quit sweets, you may consume a lot more sugar than required. Although some foods do not contain sugar in the product description, there may be dozens of sugar-containing substances with other names! In addition to the common dangers of gaining weight and diabetes, sugar can also harm our health in this way.

1. Hypertension

The culprit of high blood pressure is not salt (sodium) but sugar! First, sugar itself increases insulin levels, causing heart rate and blood pressure to rise; secondly, sugar also activates angiotensin, inactivating vasodilators, leading to increased blood pressure.

2. Accelerate aging

A large amount of sugar will make the human body secretion disorders, androgen will increase, sebum secretion will also increase, and acne will follow. In addition, sugar and protein will undergo a “glycosylation” reaction, causing the face to lose luster, spots, wrinkles, etc.

3. Harm the eyes

Excessive sugar can cause the density of the lens of the eye to increase; the curvature of the cornea becomes larger and the thickness increases; it also changes the refractive power of the eye, making the degree of myopia deepen in a short time; in severe cases, it can even induce cataracts and glaucoma.

4. Affect intelligence

A long-term high-sugar diet will slow the brain and decrease the ability of learning and memory. Because sugar affects insulin levels, and insulin not only maintains blood sugar levels, but also affects the transmission of brain signals. If insulin levels remain high, brain signals will become extremely confused, and people’s thinking and memory will be impaired.

3. Harm to the human body

It can be said that the degree of harm to the human body by the truth is that high sugar and high salt can be said to be indifferent. It is better to take in an appropriate amount in life to ensure basic needs!

(source:internet, reference only)

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