Nowadays the use of sugar and salt has increased a lot. Both these white-appearing ingredients are essential for tasty food, but consuming them in excess can cause many health problems. It would not be wrong to call these two white poisons, because consumption of sugar and salt increases your risk of heart disease significantly. Let us know from experts how excess sugar and salt can affect our heart health. Parineeta Kaur, Senior Consultant in Internal Medicine of Aakash Health Care is giving information about this.

What are the effects of eating too much sugar?

Experts say that excessive sugar consumption can have a direct impact on our heart health. When we increase sugar intake in the body, our body is not able to process it properly. For some time there is no problem, but after some time it leads to insulin resistance. This is a situation when our cells become less responsive to insulin.

Insulin resistance often causes obesity. Belly fat not only spoils personality but also plays an important role in the development of heart diseases. Belly fat becomes metabolically active and releases harmful substances into the bloodstream which also upsets the balance of various hormones that regulate blood pressure cholesterol levels and blood clotting. All these factors increase the risk of heart disease. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to hepatic steatosis which is commonly known as fatty liver. This problem is a risk factor for heart disease.

What are the effects of eating too much salt?

To put it plainly, excess salt is not at all good for heart health. Experts say that the average person in India consumes about 11 grams of salt every day, which is double the daily recommendation of 5 grams. Excessive salt intake is mainly responsible for high blood pressure. High blood pressure is no less than a silent killer. When we consume too much salt, too much fluid gets accumulated in the body. The body starts retaining too much water. Due to this the amount of blood increases and puts a lot of pressure on our arteries.

This causes damage to the arteries of your heart, making it easier for cholesterol and plaque to build up on their walls. As a result, it can cause atherosclerosis. A condition where the arteries harden, reducing blood flow to the heart. This increases the risk of heart attack and heart stroke.

How to keep the heart safe?

Experts say that it is important to take some steps in time to avoid heart disease. Experts say that completely stopping sugar is a challenging task, but try to reduce sugary snacks, sweet drinks, cold drinks, and sweets and you can give preference to some healthy fruits to reduce the craving for sweets. Be sure to check the labels on food and drink packets. Sugar is often known by different names like sucrose, fructose and glucose, keep an eye on these.

Also, pay attention to salt intake. Use less salt while cooking. Do not keep salt boxes on the dining table and also avoid eating processed food. Do regular physical activity and also keep getting regular health checkups done.

Image Credit: Freepik