According to MSc.BS. CKI Tran Quoc Phong - Head of Urology Unit, An Binh Hospital, salt does not directly "erode" the kidneys, but too high sodium will cause the body to retain water, increase circulatory volume and increase blood pressure. When this condition lasts, the microcircuits in the glomeruli must operate under greater pressure, leading to protein leakage through urine and making kidney disease progress faster in people with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
For people with kidney disease, eating too salty food also increases the risk of edema, difficulty controlling blood pressure, reduces the effectiveness of some kidney protection drugs and may contribute to heart failure. According to recommendations from the Global Kidney Disease Results Improvement Organization (KDIGO), chronic kidney patients should use less than 2g of sodium per day, equivalent to about less than 5g of salt.
Dr. Phong said that eating too much salt can increase the risk of kidney failure and kidney stones, but through two different mechanisms.
For kidney failure, an important factor is prolonged increased blood pressure and glomerular hypertension. Meanwhile, in people at risk of kidney stones, high sodium levels will increase calcium excretion through urine, while reducing citrateuria - a substance that plays a role in preventing crystallization and formation of stones.
Therefore, many people with a history of calcium stones, even if they limit calcium-rich foods but still eat salty foods, the risk of recurrence of stones is still high.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 5g of salt per day, equivalent to less than a small teaspoon.
It is noteworthy that this is the total amount of salt from all food sources during the day, including seasoning salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, seasoning powder, processed foods and external dishes, not just the amount of salt added directly to the dish when cooking.
According to experts, many foods are not too salty but still contain significant amounts of sodium. Common "hidden" salt sources include instant noodles and seasoning packages, dipping sauces, broths, braised dishes, spring rolls, sausages, cold cuts, dried fish, fish sauce, pickled dishes, snacks, cheese, industrial bread, canned foods and processed dishes.
Even a bowl of pho or vermicelli with a moderate taste can contain a high amount of sodium because most sodium is in the broth.
To limit the harmful effects of salt, doctors recommend gradually reducing the amount of salt in your diet so that your taste buds have time to adapt. Instead of relying on saltiness, you can enhance the flavor of dishes with natural spices such as onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, lemon, vinegar or herbs.
In addition, people should develop the habit of reading the sodium content on food labels, limit the use of dipping sauces, reduce the amount of water used in vermicelli and pho dishes, and avoid drinking all the water of instant noodles.
Eating bland food is not synonymous with eating bland food. That is the way to switch from salty to feeling the aroma, sourness, spiciness and natural taste of food," MSc. BS. CKI Tran Quoc Phong emphasized.
