The 7 dangers of eating LESS than one teaspoon of salt per day as doctor warns it could be ‘extremely harmful’

WE’RE all told of the dangers of eating too much salt.

A diet high in sodium can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.

GettyEating too little salt can trigger a range of different health issues[/caption] Jam Press/@doctorsethimdDr Saurabh Sethi said salt is a crucial electrolyte that helps the body retain water[/caption]

But eating too little could be just as dangerous, a doctor has warned.

Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist who graduated from Harvard University, regular shares his experience and knowledge with his 486,000 followers on TikTok (@doctorsethimd ).

In a video that’s now gone viral, the 42-year-old medical professional warned of the dangers that can come with eating too little salt.

He begins by explaining salt is a crucial electrolyte that helps our bodies retain water.

“Without it, you would likely experience severe dehydration [and] your blood volume will decrease significantly, leading to a drop in blood pressure,” the doctor, from California, US, said.

Dr Sethi added the craving for salty foods will become “very intense”.

And there are other dangers. He said: “Your muscles will become very weak, you could also feel dizzy, lightheaded and even faint.

“On top of that, inadequate salt consumption can disrupt gut health by impairing digestion and weaken liver health by reducing essential nutrient absorption.”

Dr Sethi ended the video with a final warning.

He added: “While many people worry about consuming too much salt, not getting enough can be far more dangerous.

“For most people, it is important to consume about one teaspoon of sea salt each day.”

There have been a number of studies highlighting the health risks of too little salt.

A few studies have linked low sodium diets to increased insulin resistance – when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can’t easily take up glucose from your blood.

One example is a study involving 152 healthy people which found insulin resistance increased after only seven days on a low sodium diet.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, and several studies have demonstrated the effects of low sodium diets on heart attacks, stroke, and the risk of death.

One study found less than 3,000mg of sodium per day is linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes.

Some studies have also suggested low sodium diets can increase LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol.

A 2003 review of studies in healthy people found low sodium diets caused a 4.6 per cent increase in LDL cholesterol.

Adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day (around one level teaspoon).

This includes the salt that’s already in our food and the salt added during and after cooking.

Here are the maximum recommended salt intakes for different ages…