Hidden Dangers of Salt: Silent Heart Damage Explained

By Dr. Shaji Raj, BAMS – Founder & Chief Physician, Punarjanis Life Sciences, Chennai

As an Ayurvedic physician with over 30 years of clinical experience, I have treated hundreds of patients suffering from heart disorders, high blood pressure, and fatigue—often without them realizing the root cause of their condition. One of the most common, yet most underestimated villains behind these health issues is excessive salt intake. Most people believe that salt becomes a problem only when blood pressure (BP) is high. But the truth is far more complex and more dangerous: even with normal BP, excess salt silently damages the heart and blood vessels over time—often without any obvious symptoms until it’s too late.

What Happens in the Body When You Eat Too Much Salt?

Salt contains sodium, an essential mineral that helps maintain fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contraction. However, when consumed in excess, it turns from friend to foe.

Here’s how:

• 1.Kidneys Hold More Water: To balance the extra sodium in the bloodstream, your kidneys retain more water. This increases the overall volume of blood circulating in the body.
• 2.Increased Blood Volume = Increased Pressure: With more blood to pump, the heart has to work harder. This results in elevated pressure inside the arteries, even if your BP readings are still “normal” on the surface.
• 3.Damage to Blood Vessel Linings (Endothelium): The inner lining of your blood vessels, called the endothelium, is very sensitive. Constant high pressure stretches and damages it, leading to what is medically known as endothelial dysfunction.
• 4.Narrowed and Stiff Arteries: Damaged endothelium leads to thickening, hardening, and narrowing of the arteries. This increases vascular resistance, forcing your heart to pump harder.
• 5.Heart Muscle Becomes Thick and Rigid (LV Hypertrophy): Just like how our muscles grow with intense physical strain, the left ventricle of the heart (the chamber that pumps oxygenated blood) becomes hypertrophied—thickened and less flexible due to the increased workload.
• 6.Heart Weakens Over Time: A hypertrophied heart may initially seem stronger, but over time, it becomes less efficient. The heart struggles to pump blood, eventually leading to heart failure.

But My BP Is Normal—Why Should I Worry?

This is a question I hear almost daily in my clinic. Most people assume: “If my BP is normal, I can eat all the salt I want.” Unfortunately, this is a myth. Even people with normal blood pressure are at risk of heart damage due to long-term high salt intake. The changes inside the body are slow and silent. There may be no warning signs, no pain, no tiredness—until the damage is advanced. In fact, studies have shown that high salt consumption increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure—even among people without hypertension.

The Biggest Shock: Most Salt Doesn’t Come from Your Salt Shaker

Let me share an important fact. Only about 30% of your daily sodium intake comes from the salt you add while cooking. The remaining 70% comes from “invisible salt”—present in processed, packaged, and restaurant foods. These include:

• Bread and bakery items
• Noodles, pasta, soups
• Pickles, Papads, Sauces, Ketchup
• Chips, snacks, canned foods
• Restaurant or take-away meals

You may not even taste the salt in these foods—but your body feels its effects.

Real-Life Case from My Practice

I once treated a 43-year-old patient who had no diagnosed BP, no history of heart problems, and looked fit externally. However, he regularly consumed fast food, processed meals, and takeaways. He came to me complaining of chest tightness and fatigue. Upon pulse diagnosis and further assessment, it was clear—his heart was under significant stress. The root cause? Years of hidden salt consumption.

How Much Salt Is Too Much?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a healthy adult should consume less than 5 grams of salt per day—that’s just about 1 level teaspoon. Most Indians consume 10 to 12 grams per day, more than double the safe limit.

How Ayurveda Understands Salt and Heart Health

In Ayurveda, excess salt (Lavena rasa) is understood to aggravate Pitta and Kapha doshas, leading to:

• Rakta dushti (impurities in the blood)
• Meda dhatu vriddhi (increase in fat tissues)
• Hridaya Bala kshaya (weakening of heart strength)
• Shotha (edema) and Agni dushti (digestive fire imbalance)

The cumulative result is a weakened cardiovascular system, prone to chronic disorders.

What You Can Do – Practical Tips

• Limit processed foods and packaged items.
• Taste before adding salt—most food doesn’t need extra.
• Use Himalayan pink salt or rock salt sparingly—better than refined salt, but still needs moderation.
• Read nutrition labels—look for sodium content.
• Use natural flavouring—lime, jeera, coriander, ginger, pepper, curry leaves.
• Get regular checkups—especially pulse diagnosis and preventive heart assessments.

We Invite You to Visit Punarjanis Life Sciences – Chennai’s Ayurvedic Centre for Chronic and Lifestyle Disorders At Punarjanis Life Sciences, we go beyond the surface. I personally perform Nadi Pariksha (pulse diagnosis) to detect early signs of cardiovascular stress, organ imbalances, and disruptions in prana flow—even before they appear in lab reports.

We use Arka-based potentized Ayurvedic medicines, prepared from rare herbs and time-tested formulations that have shown remarkable results in:

• Preventing heart damage
• Reducing salt-related blood pressure fluctuations
• Rejuvenating the endothelium
• Strengthening the heart muscles
• Balancing doshas and restoring vitality

Don’t wait for your body to shout. Listen to the silent warnings today. Prevention is always better than cure.

Visit us at Punarjanis Life Sciences, Chennai.

For appointments, call: +91 95000 01177

Website: www.punarjanis.com

Email: info@punarjanis.com