You may have already wondered how salt affects our digestion.🤔 Here's the deal: Salt stimulates gastric acid production in the stomach and can therefore aid in protein digestion. Unfortunately, salt also has a dark side. If we eat too much of it, it can decimate healthy intestinal bacteria and unfortunately also promote constipation. The reason: 99% of the sodium contained in the salt is absorbed by the intestine and this sodium is always followed by water when it is absorbed from the intestine into the blood.🩸
The result? The stool loses water, becomes firmer and less voluminous. A smaller amount of stool means less stretching of the colon wall, which can then impair the stimulus necessary for muscle contraction and further movement of the intestines. 🌀
But: With extremely high salt concentrations (such as when drinking brine with 9 g of salt per liter of water) the opposite can also happen - namely diarrhea!
The high salt concentration increases osmotic pressure in the intestines, which then draws water from cells and blood into the intestines and can lead to violent bowel movements. 🚽
Conclusion: Balance is key! Moderation in salt consumption is important to keep our intestines and intestinal flora in balance. 💙🍽️
Have you ever consciously paid attention to your salt consumption? 😊
