Here's what can happen when you eat too much salt

Our bodies need a certain amount of sodium to survive, and one of the most common ways we get it is in salt. About 40% of what's in your table salt is sodium.

Salt does more than just take that caramel cookie to the next level. Healthy levels of it in the body also help keep our blood pressure under control and ensure that our muscles and nerves function properly.

Each person reacts to salt differently. But generally, physicians agree that if you want to control high blood pressure, you should limit your salt intake, and not doing so can be unhealthy. Here are some of the reasons:

BI Graphic_What Happens if You Eat Too Much Salt

(Dylan Roach/Business Insider)

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