1 Teaspoon of Salt

Article by Diet Bites

This Health Article Contains Astounding Amounts of Sodium Contained in Popular Fast Food Menu Selections

Too Much Salt Equals Devastating Health Woes

Doesn't sound too appetizing, does it? Yet, that's what most Americans do on a daily basis - and at times, they consume more than three times this amount. The impact on health is devastating - and not in a good way.

High Blood Pressure to Kidney Ills Associated With Excess Sodium in the Daily Diet

Here are just a few of the ill-effects that sodium can render on the human body:

- Increase in blood pressure.

- Swelling and bloating in the body, particularly in the hands, feet, face and abdominal area.

- Increased pressure on the heart, making it have to work harder to accomplish it's life-saving tasks.

- Pressure on the vital organs due to swelling of the tissues.

- Excessive amounts are taxing to the kidneys as water [fluid] is retained in the body.

- Because foods that are excessive in salt are often battered, dipped or fried, they also tend to be high in fatty acid content which impacts circulatory health. Poor health in this area can lead to strokes or other uncomfortable ills.

Sodium in 1 Teaspoon of Table Salt

One teaspoon of salt contains 2400 milligrams of sodium.

Examples of Fast Foods Extreme in Sodium Content

The amounts of salt contained in many fast food selections are nothing short of astounding. As I was compiling the data chart below, I felt sad and tears actually threatened my eyes. It's just mind-boggling what we're doing to our health these days - all because food tastes good. While the sodium content is horrendous in our chart - the fat and caloric values are equally damaging to the body.

Think about this. If you have ever ordered and consumed the Country Fried Chicken Steak and Eggs with gravy from IHOP - it was the same as topping your plate with almost two teaspoons of table salt.

If you are susceptible to the negative side-effects of excess sodium intake, then you were probably miserable for 1-4 days following your meal. Keep in mind that you probably consumed other foods throughout your day, thus the salt intake was accumulative. The human body requires one to several days to deal with the excess before retained water is released via the urinary system.

Astounding Amounts of Sodium Contained in Popular Fast Food Menu Selections

In Summary

Be mindful of what you choose to put into your body as it does impact your current and future health. At times, the damage done is not reversible and we are left with life-long effects which could have been avoided with an otherwise healthy diet.

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