Your risk of stomach cancer will decrease
“Increased sodium intake has been linked to gastric cancer,” Dr Yehya says. Although research confirms this, the exact reason for the link isn’t known. According to the American Cancer Society, certain gut bacteria thought to be a cause of stomach cancer are more prevalent in high salt diets; it’s a reason why the organisation recommends cutting back on salted fish and meats as well as pickled vegetables.
You may have fewer headaches
A 2014 study from Johns Hopkins found that people who reduced the sodium in their diet had fewer headaches than people who continued to eat the same way. Interestingly, it didn’t matter what type of diet they were on – DASH or a typical Western diet: The only thing that mattered was the level of sodium. Although the researchers aren’t sure why sodium has this effect, they theorise blood vessels may have to expand to accommodate extra blood volume sodium creates, triggering pain. “Reduced dietary sodium intake offers a novel approach to prevent headaches,” the authors concluded.
Check to see whether your diet could be the cause of your headaches.
You’ll start to crave less salty foods
Cutting down on salt in your diet doesn’t mean everything will taste bland: “Large amounts of added salt can dull your taste buds, which means you will need more and more salt to achieve the desired ‘salty’ taste you crave,” Palinski-Wade says. “As you scale back on your salt intake, your taste buds become more sensitised, and that allows you to appreciate the salt more and help you to satisfy your salt fix with less actual sodium.”
