1. Swerve salt to slow down ageing
Most of us love to add flavour with a touch of salt and sodium is actually an essential part of our diet, playing a vital role in the body’s fluid balance. But though you need some salt to keep your heart, liver and kidneys in good health for as long as possible, too much is definitely a bad thing. Scientists have found that eating excess amounts of salt can have the reverse effect, detrimentally impacting these exact organs!
If you eat too much sodium, it can spike your blood pressure, putting you at a higher risk of cardiovascular conditions. This can happen to anyone but for the over 50’s, the risk is higher. Blood pressure rises with age – as does your chance of having a stroke or heart failure.
There’s another good reason to lower your sodium intake – as having too much can cause you to age much faster. This is due to salt’s telomere shortening effect, according to a study conducted by the American Heart Association. Telomeres protect the end of your chromosomes from cell damage – and when they wear down, disorders like diabetes, cancer and dementia are more likely to develop.
Young obese adults taking part in the study experienced advanced cellular ageing from consuming too much salt. So just imagine the impact all that excess sodium consumption could have if you’re over 50!
The study concluded that reducing sodium intake slows down the cellular ageing process, particularly in obese individuals. Sodium and obesity are in fact two of the biggest risk factors when it comes to accelerated ageing.
