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.
Step-by-step 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.
The excess of sodium in the organism represents a long term health problem, since it favors the appearance of arterial hypertension.
The mechanism by which sodium produces an increase in blood pressure is due to several factors:
- Increase in the amount of body fluid.
- Release of antidiuretic hormone and vasopressin, responsible for the increase in pressure of the wall of the arteries.
- 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.
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.