How much salt is too much?
Increased salt (sodium> 2 g/day) intake is associated with high blood pressure and the increase of heart disease and stroke. Along with the table salt consumed with home-cooked meals, eating processed foods and the changes to dietary habits brought about by rapid urbanization contributes to excess salt intake than what is recommended all over the world.
The WHO estimates that about 2.5 million deaths around the globe can be prevented if the salt intake is reduced to the recommended level. Salt in pregnancy is a topic of importance as both too much, or too little salt has adverse effects on the baby.
Why is salt essential to the body?
Salt is an important mineral that is the source of Sodium. The element sodium is needed to maintain body fluid levels, conduct electrical impulses in the nerves, regulate enzyme functioning, facilitate movement of molecules, produce hormones, and a number of other critical functions. During pregnancy, salt plays a crucial role in the regulation of body fluids that supports the development of the baby. Iodized salt is especially important for women who have diets that consist of low iodine.
What happens when you consume excess salt?
Consuming too much salt during pregnancy affects the kidneys and result in the body retaining excess water. This increased fluid retention can cause the blood pressure to rise. There is sufficient evidence to show that excess salt intake leads to developmental defects in the baby. High salt concentrations affect the development of the placenta, which in turn causes insufficient exchange of nutrients to the fetus leading to growth defects or low birth rate.
What happens when you restrict salt intake?
On the other hand low salt diet during pregnancy can have just as much negative impact on the mother and the fetus. Recent studies have shown that the intrauterine environment of a fetus contributes to the development of disease in adulthood. Low salt intake during pregnancy retards the growth of the fetus, leading to low birth weight or even intrauterine death. It is thought that part of metabolic diseases in adulthood, such as hypertension and decreased insulin sensitivity, is caused by salt restriction during pregnancy.
Optimal salt intake
The WHO recommends no more than 2 grams of sodium a day, which works out to be about 5 to 6 grams of salt per day. This optimal salt intake remains the same regardless of whether the woman is pregnant or not. However, the global average stands around 9.8 grams of salt per day. In general, considering the averages around the world, salt intake of fewer than 6 grams per day is considered salt restriction, 6- 12 grams per day is considered normal intake, and higher than 12 grams a day is considered high-salt intake.
Regulating your salt intake
The daily recommended salt intake of 6 grams is approximately equivalent to one teaspoon of salt. If pregnant women are already consuming 6 grams per day through home-cooked meals, it would be advisable to check the nutritional labels on food products and reduce the intake of salty snacks/foods. Pregnancy salt cravings can be satiated by eating salty snacks and balancing through a light reduction of salt in the meals.
Conclusion
Salt is an essential mineral for the body as it plays a crucial role in fluid retention, nerve impulse transmission, and other metabolic processes. The WHO recommends maintaining the salt intake to less than 6 grams a day. Excess salts or salt restrictions can both have adverse effects on the baby; therefore, it is important to maintain an optimal intake of salt.
References:
https://www.health-foundations.com/blog/2014/08/15/why-salt-is-important-in-pregnancy
https://jbiomedsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12929-016-0233-8
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/salt-reduction
https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.767.4
https://www.who.int/elena/titles/guidance_summaries/sodium_intake/en/
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