Diabetes: Salt is as dangerous for diabetics as sugar, does it also increase sugar?

Diabetes is a rapidly growing health problem globally, the risk of which is being seen even in younger people. There can be a risk of increased blood sugar levels and problems caused by it due to dietary and lifestyle disorders. Especially what you eat, directly affects your sugar level. This is the reason why people who have diabetes are advised to reduce the consumption of sweet things (sugar things).

But do you know that excessive consumption of salt can also be harmful for diabetics just like sugar? Do salty things also affect the sugar level? Why are diabetics asked to reduce their consumption?

Let's know about this.

Take special care of diet in diabetes

Researchers at the University of Rochester said that people with diabetes should limit the amount of salt (sodium) in their diet just like sugar. Salt intake does not directly affect blood sugar, but it can cause the risk of developing high blood pressure, kidney disease, and heart disease. The risk of all these diseases has been seen more in people suffering from diabetes. In such a situation, if the amount of sodium in your diet is high, then improve it.

Salt is also harmful to diabetes patients
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that two out of three people with diabetes may have high blood pressure. Apart from this, the risk of heart disease or stroke in them is twice as high as in other people.

The World Health Organization advises all people to consume no more than 2,000 milligrams of salt and 35 grams of sugar per day. People who have diabetes need to be more careful about its quantity.

Heart-kidney and blood pressure problems
Excessive amounts of salt alone can be harmful to your overall health. Due to excess salt, first of all, you become a victim of high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease-heart attack. Apart from this, excess salt is also considered harmful to the kidneys. The problem of kidney disease is more in people suffering from diabetes. This is the reason that both excess salt and sugar are harmful to health in many ways.

So what to eat then?

To control blood sugar levels and avoid the risks of problems like high blood pressure and cholesterol, increase the amount of things in the diet that are rich in fiber. A high-fiber diet can be helpful in reducing many types of complications caused by diabetes. Including plant-based things, green vegetables, and seasonal fruits in the diet can help in reducing health complications.

(PC: ISTOCK)