Just like eating too much salt is not good for your health – as it leads to high blood pressure, low sodium levels are equally dangerous.
According to experts, not getting enough sodium increases your resistance to insulin and raises LDL cholesterol levels.
Doctors say sodium is an important electrolyte and a main component of table salt. Most current guidelines recommend eating less than 2,300 mg per day, and some even go as low as 1,500 mg for your daily intake.
However, even though too much sodium causes problems, eating too little can be just as unhealthy.
A few lesser-known, yet dangerous symptoms of low sodium are:
Causes insulin resistance
According to studies, not eating enough salt in a day can lead to increased insulin resistance – as your body’s cells stop responding well to signals, leading to higher insulin and blood sugar levels.
Doctors say insulin resistance is a major driver of many serious diseases, including type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
American Heart Association says insulin resistance increases usually when your sodium diet is less than 40 mmol/day, which means taking 0.92 g/day of sodium, and 2.34 g/day of NaCl.
Also known as hyponatremia – its symptoms include nausea and vomiting, loss of energy, and confusion. Serious hyponatremia can cause seizures, coma, and even death. Hyponatremia is more common in older adults as they are more likely to take medicines or have medical problems that put them at risk of the disorder.
Has no benefits for the heart
While reducing your intake of salt reduces blood pressure, doctors say hypertension is only a risk factor for disease.
Many studies have found that consuming less than 3,000 mg of sodium per day is linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease – including heart attacks and strokes.
Can cause heart failure
According to doctors, a low sodium diet is linked to a heightened risk of death in people with heart failure – a condition when your heart is not able to pump enough blood around the body to meet its needs for blood and oxygen.
However, it does not mean that your heart stops working completely, but it is still a very serious health issue.
Experts say those who restrict their sodium intake have a 160 per cent higher risk of death.
Raises bad cholesterol and triglycerides
Even though many factors raise LDL or bad cholesterol, a diet extremely low in sodium is one of them. It also increases triglyceride levels.
According to a study, low sodium diets caused a 4.6 per cent increase in LDL cholesterol and a 5.9 per cent increase in triglycerides.
Increased risk of death in people with diabetes
Those suffering from diabetes have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke if they regularly follow a low-sodium diet.
According to doctors, diabetics should follow guidelines recommended for limiting salt intake.
