Do you think that a high-sodium diet could damage the body over time? Why or why not?

A high-sodium diet could damage the body over time as it may cause hypertension, heart failure, kidney disease, stroke etc.

Explanation:

Human body needs a small amount of sodium to perform functions like maintaining the proper balance of water and minerals, nerve impulse transmission, and contraction and relaxation of muscles. It requires about 500 mg of sodium daily to perform these important functions.

But a high-sodium diet can lead to hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. It can also cause depletion of calcium from the bone resulting in osteoporosis. Excess sodium in the blood causes the body to hold onto more water to dilute the sodium, which increases the amount of fluid surrounding the cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. The increase in blood volume causes more pressure on the blood vessels and the stiffening of blood vessels, which leads to high blood pressure (hypertension) and more work for the heart. This causes more burden to the heart resulting in heart attack and stroke.

Commercially processed foods like bread, pasta, soups, chips etc contains high sodium than naturally processed food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, dairy products etc.

The ideal intake amount of sodium for a normal, healthy individual is 2,300 mg per day. For persons having high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease, the recommended amount is 1500 mg or less per day.