Answer:
The problem with sodium, present in common salt and necessary for vital functions, is that its excess is linked to the presence of high blood pressure or hypertension.
Explanation:
Sodium is a predominantly extracellular electrolyte, responsible for many vital functions, such as the generation of transmembrane action potentials. Additionally, it is related to the balance and distribution of body water.
<u>The excess of sodium in the organism represents a long term health problem, since it favors the appearance of </u><u>arterial hypertension</u>.
The mechanism by which sodium produces an increase in blood pressure is due to several factors:
- <em>Increase in the amount of body fluid.</em>
- <em>Release of antidiuretic hormone and vasopressin, responsible for the increase in pressure of the wall of the arteries.</em>
- <em>At the cellular level, the increase in extracellular sodium promotes the presence of intracellular sodium, which is capable of increasing the volume and counter-attachment of blood vessel cells and, consequently, producing hypertension.</em>
The consumption of common salt, the main source of sodium, and of canned products must be controlled, in order to avoid the presence of high blood pressure.