Written By: Tania Tarafdar | Updated: December 27, 2016, 11:15 AM
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Excess sodium in your diet has been linked to heart and kidney disease, but too little salt in your diet can also prove harmful. Dr Ninad Pendse, a physician at Seawoods Hospital, Mumbai, tells you the side effects of a low sodium diet.
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Impairment of nervous function: Your nervous system needs sodium to function, so a low salt diet can affect your nerve functioning. You may experience seizures, disorientation, or even fall into a coma due to sodium deficiency.
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Less control over muscle movement: Loss of control over muscle movement is another side effect of too little salt in your body causing swelling, cramping and even muscle weakness.
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Hyponatremia: Sodium or salt is critical to maintaining electrolyte balance. Reducing salt intake can lead to a condition called Hyponatremia which leads to nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting and even seizures.
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Heart disease: It may come as a surprise, but a reduction in salt intake or a low sodium diet increases the bad cholesterol level (LDL) in the body by almost 4.6%. Triglycerides or the fat deposits in blood increase the risk of heart disease.
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Celebral edema: Celebral edema which is the swelling of the brain within the skull is one of the most dangerous side effects of low salt levels in your body. The swelling may also result in ruptured blood vessels causing bleeding in the brain.
