Beware! Too much salt in your diet can damage your organs

Sodium may also affect the sympathetic nervous system, which activates what is often termed the fight-or-flight response.

Too much salt in your diet can wreak havoc on your body. People diagnosed with High Blood Pressure therefore have to avoid those salty snacks and most readymade foods. But is that the only threat that too much salt poses? According to a new study, it can do much further damage.

Even in the absence of an increase in blood pressure, excess dietary sodium can adversely affect target organs, including the blood vessels, heart, kidneys and brain, said the researchers from the University of Delaware.

Blood pressure responses to alterations in dietary sodium vary widely, which has led to the concept of 'salt-sensitive' blood pressure, said one of the study authors William Farquhar. Read about how you can reduce your salt intake and control your BP.

If blood pressure increases during a period of high dietary sodium or decreases during a low-sodium period, the person is considered salt sensitive. If there is no change in blood pressure with sodium restriction, an individual is considered salt resistant, Farquhar noted.

However, the new research points to evidence of adverse effects on multiple target organs and tissues, even for people who are salt resistant.

Potential effects on the arteries include reduced function of the endothelium, which is the inner lining of blood vessels. Endothelial cells mediate a number of processes, including coagulation, platelet adhesion and immune function.

Elevated dietary sodium can also increase arterial stiffness, the researchers noted.

High dietary sodium can also lead to left ventricular hypertrophy, or enlargement of the muscle tissue that makes up the wall of the heart's main pumping chamber, co-author of the review paper David Edwards noted. Read about how lowering your salt intake can cure headache.

As the walls of the chamber grow thicker, they become less compliant and eventually are unable to pump as forcefully as a healthy heart, Edwards pointed out.

Regarding the kidneys, high sodium is associated with reduced renal function, a decline observed with only a minimal increase in blood pressure, the researchers noted.

Finally, sodium may also affect the sympathetic nervous system, which activates what is often termed the fight-or-flight response.

Chronically elevated dietary sodium may 'sensitize' sympathetic neurons in the brain, causing a greater response to a variety of stimuli, including skeletal muscle contraction, Farquhar noted.

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Image source: Getty Images

With inputs from IANS

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