Can Excess Salt Harm Your Kids?

Every mother would like to be vigilant about the nutritional requirements of her child. So why overlook the sodium intake in your child's diet? The main ingredient for sodium is salt. It is very essential for maintaining the right balance of fluids in the body, transmitting nerve impulses, relaxation and contraction of muscles. But to fully attain the health benefits of sodium you have to regulate the right proportion of salt intake of your child.

How Much Is Good- According to a survey by Trading Standards Institute (TSI) children under one year should have less than 1 gram of salt every day. Those within 1-3 years of age must have 2 grams of salt per day and 3 grams of salt for children who fall under the age of 4-6 years. And the quantity of salt that is marked good for children between 7-10 years is restricted to 5 grams per day.

But you need to remember that foods like milk, meat and vegetables are a natural source of sodium. So when your child is having any of the above mentioned food in his/her meal then you should cut the intake of raw salt a bit in their diet to maintain the proportion. Or else the high intake of salt can be bad for your child's health.

Harmful Effects- Salt can really be bad for kids as too much intake of it can lead to various diseases. If for any reason our kidneys fail to maintain the balance of sodium in our body then it may lead to an increased pressure in the arteries and chronic kidney diseases. What children are eating now can lead to worse health affects in later life. A high level of salt intake in children have also been linked to diseases like asthma and kidney stones. It even leads to obesity in kids. So limit the salt intake in your kid's diet to prevent the harmful effects of sodium.

What's Right- Your child's kidney cannot cope with excess intake of salt. So do not add salt to your kid's diet until they are one-year-old. Breast milk itself fulfills the requirement of salt in their body. All processed foods like sauces, gravies, crisps etc are highly rich in sodium. So, plan your child's meal with whole cereals, vegetables and fruits that has restricted amount of sodium in it.

Sodium is good for your kid's growth if taken in limited amount. But keep in mind that it can cause more harm if the amount of intake is not regulated properly. . So regulate on the amount of sodium you give to your child and live a healthy life.