Adebowale made the clarifications during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti.
Adebowale, who gave the number one medical consequence of high salt intake as hypertension, maintained that reducing sodium intake could lower blood pressure by as much as 25 per cent.
According to her, as a standard, human dietary intake of sodium (salt) should not exceed 2,000 milligrams per day.
She said the habit of eating salty food could heighten the risk of other non-blood pressure related heart diseases.
“High intake of salt causes water retention into the blood vessels, this instantaneously increases blood pressure volume and blood pressure.
“Sudden rises of blood pressure can trigger life threatening cardiovascular emergencies like strokes and hear attacks.
“Having higher than normal blood volume means that the heart has to work much harder to provide proper blood circulation.
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“As this progresses, the heart can become abnormally large and heart valves becoming thinner while an enlarged heart is significantly weaker.
“This process can result in symptoms such as chest pains, breathlessness and chronic fatigue and in more fatal cases like heart failure, sudden cardiac arrest and death,” she said.
The consultant nutritionist particularly advised diabetic patients, women who have entered menopause and the elderly who are already at high risk of osteoporosis (a condition whereby the bone becomes weak) should carefully watch their salt intake.
She said reducing salt intake had proved to be an effective remedy for preventing swollen feet, ankles and calves.
“Feeling thirsty is a direct response after having a salty food. This happens because excessive sodium in the blood draws water out of the cells and into the tissues
“Dehydrated cells signal the brain for water; having fluid filled tissues makes the body look bloated and swollen.
“Such symptoms are mostly severe in the lower parts of the body,” she said. (NAN)
