Several people have to deal with an afternoon crash every time. Could this be because of salt or sugar intake? Like many people, you may start your day full of energy. The early hours of your day get spent with booming energy you didn’t think would crash.
However, despite how energetically you started your day, you may experience an afternoon crash in the afternoon. You suddenly feel lethargic, and like a wave of sleepiness hits you. At times, it may be challenging to stay awake and alert.
While this could be inconvenient, there are things you can do to prevent them from happening. One of which is dealing with your salt or sugar intake. Both salty and sugary food can make you sluggish and eventually experience an afternoon crash. So let’s examine how and why each one does so.
Salt and lethargy
There is this saying that too much of anything is wrong. Unfortunately, this reality applies to salt as well. When your body consumes exceedingly large amounts of salt, you risk certain illnesses such as high blood pressure. Other than that, you are bound to feel lethargic.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the recommended daily salt intake should not exceed 2,300 milligrams. This is equivalent to a teaspoon of salt. Though this quantity is the ceiling amount, a lower intake would always be better. Therefore, the balanced option is to have 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily.
Even if this is the recommended amount, several people exceed the ceiling, and at times, their intake is even double the limit. This reality translates to increased health risks.
Salt, or sodium specifically, could contribute to several health issues. For one, it is proven that salt affects sleep. Therefore, having too much salt before bed can affect your sleep quality that night and make you feel lethargic the next day.
This could result in an afternoon crash for you. According to Dr. Sandra Darling, a wellness and preventive medicine specialist, if you have “too much salt in your bloodstream, you may not sleep well that night — and feel tired or groggy the next day.”
Besides affecting your sleep and making you feel slumpy the next day, having high salt levels in your bloodstream can also make you feel weaker. In such a case, water would gush from your cells to make the salt thin. As a result, you could feel lethargic.
That being said, salt is indeed one contributor to that inconvenient afternoon crash.
Sugar intake can also cause drowsiness
Aside from salt, sugar can also contribute to your afternoon crash.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the daily limit for adult women’s sugar intake should not exceed 100 calories. This roughly equates to 24 grams or six teaspoons. On the other hand, most men should not exceed 150 calories (around 36 grams or nine teaspoons).
When you take large amounts of sugar, your body’s production of orexin, also known as hypocretin, a neuropeptide that regulates arousal, wakefulness, and appetite, becomes hindered. Hence, because orexin gets inhibited, you are likely to feel sleepier.
Aside from inhibiting orexin production, taking high amounts of sugar can affect your blood sugar levels. While the effects may vary from case to case, it is not uncommon for a person’s blood sugar to spike right after a sugary meal. This condition is called post-meal hyperglycemia. Though hard to point out, such a condition may lead to fatigue.
Managing your salt and sugar intake
To prevent that afternoon crash and promote overall health, you should be intentional in managing your salt and sugar intake. Though eating that salty or sugary dish could seem harmless, it is bound to cause an afternoon crash and do bad things to your body if you do it repetitively.
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