How Too Much Salt Affects Your Kidneys
Your kidneys act like a filtration system. They balance fluids, remove waste, and control blood pressure. When you eat too much salt (sodium), this balance gets disturbed in several ways:
1. Increases Blood Pressure
Salt makes your body hold extra water.
More water in your blood = more pressure on blood vessels.
High blood pressure is the biggest enemy of your kidneys because it damages the delicate filters (nephrons) that clean your blood.
2. Overloads the Kidney Filters
When your diet is high in salt, your kidneys work overtime to remove the excess.
This constant pressure can slowly weaken them, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
3. Causes Fluid Retention
Too much salt leads to water retention, causing:
- Swelling in feet, ankles, and hands
- Puffiness around eyes
This happens because kidneys struggle to maintain fluid balance.
4. Increases Risk of Kidney Stones
A high-salt diet increases calcium loss through urine.
Extra calcium can combine with other minerals and form kidney stones, which are extremely painful.
5. Worsens Kidney Disease if You Already Have It
For people with any kidney issues, extra salt makes the condition progress much faster.
It can also lead to protein leakage in urine (proteinuria)—a sign your kidneys are failing.
How Much Salt Is Right for You?
Most people consume way more than they need without realizing it.
⭐ Recommended Daily Salt Intake
- WHO guideline: < 5 grams of salt per day
(≈ 1 teaspoon of salt) - This equals 2 grams of sodium.
⭐ If you already have:
- High blood pressure
- Kidney disease
- Heart issues
Then your limit should be even lower:
👉 2–3 grams of salt per day (half teaspoon).
Where Most Salt Comes From (Hidden Sources)
Even if you don’t add much salt at home, you may still consume too much from:
- Packaged snacks
- Pickles & papad
- Bread
- Instant noodles
- Restaurant food
- Chips, namkeen
- Biscuits
- Sauces & ketchup
- Maggi masala, chaat masala
Tips to Reduce Salt Without Losing Taste
- Use lemon, herbs, black pepper, jeera, garlic, hing for flavor.
- Avoid adding salt on top of salads or fruits.
- Reduce papad, pickles, packaged snacks.
- Taste food before adding extra salt.
