Here’s What Happens If You Eat Too Much Salt

2. High Blood Pressure

As your body tries to dilute salt in the blood by holding onto water, the increased volume causes blood pressure to increase. Blood pressure measures how hard your heart works to pump blood through arteries.

The tiny arterial muscles respond by getting thicker and stronger. As a result, the space within the arteries decreases and makes blood pressure even higher. Eventually, the arteries burst or become clogged. The first can be immediately fatal. The second can cause organ damage and eventual death.

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