What Are the Negative Effects of Consuming Raw Salt?

In daily life, salt is essential as a basic seasoning, but we also know that excessive intake of salt can burden the body. Excessive iodine intake can even lead to thyroid diseases. Generally, it is not recommended to consume raw salt, as it is higher in salinity and more likely to increase blood viscosity, leading to hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other diseases.

Excessive salt intake can easily lead to headaches. Many people experience headaches after eating a large meal, which is related to salt intake. Studies have found that people who consume 8 grams of salt per day have more than one-third more headaches than those who consume 4 grams of salt. Regardless of the specific food consumed, as long as the amount of salt is high, there will be a similar reaction. This study confirms that excessive salt intake may be closely related to headaches. People who frequently experience headaches may consider reducing their salt intake.

Water retention in the body is closely related to the amount of sodium intake. Some women with poor blood circulation are prone to mild edema, especially a few days before menstruation. This condition is more apparent, and their faces may appear swollen. The increased water retention caused by hormonal levels, combined with a high intake of salt, can exacerbate discomfort such as bloating, facial swelling, and headaches. Research has long found that a high-salt diet can promote tissue edema. Women who suffer from premenstrual syndrome should actively control their salt intake and eat lighter foods before menstruation.

When salt intake is excessive, body tissue water content decreases due to osmotic pressure, and water excretion increases, which is not conducive to skin moisturization. Therefore, reducing salt intake can improve skin quality. Many women feel comfortable with their skin after drinking fruit and vegetable juices for one or two days, not because the juices have any magical effects, but largely because their daily diet contains too much salt.

Compared with foods with less salt, foods with excessive salt can reduce the viscosity of protective mucus in the stomach, reducing its protective effect on the stomach wall. This allows various harmful factors in food to act more easily on the stomach wall, thus promoting the occurrence of various gastric diseases. Epidemiological studies have shown a positive correlation between salt intake and the risk of gastric cancer. In other words, a light and low-salt diet is beneficial for preventing gastric cancer.

When sodium intake is high, the body excretes sodium, which also increases the excretion of urinary calcium. This leads to calcium loss.