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Salt is an essential food ingredient. The human body is not able to produce salt on its own, hence the need to isolate it from food. There are many myths about white powder that have nothing to do with reality. The ingredient is absolutely safe if you approach the daily menu rationally and scientifically.
In addition to the usual culinary white crystals, there are a dozen different types, among them is black salt. What is the product like, how is it different from the usual white powder, and is there any point in looking for an ingredient on store shelves?
General characteristics
Black salt is mined in the Himalayas, between the territories of India and Nepal. The food product is enriched with hydrogen sulfide, iodine, iron, potassium and sulfur. The concentration of useful micro and macro elements is several times higher than other types of salt. The only caveat is the minimum concentration of sodium chloride. What does it affect? The black mineral has a less salty taste and safer characteristics. Reduced content of sodium chloride protects the body from harmful salt deposits, clogging of blood vessels.
The benefits of the food component are concentrated in sulfur compounds. They strengthen intestinal motility, act simultaneously, and as a laxative, and as a powerful stimulant for internal organs.
If ordinary table salt is suitable for absolutely everyone, then the black mineral will appeal only to a certain audience. The component emits a peculiar egg smell and aroma. The egg palette is so pronounced that it overshadows other tastes and smells of the dish. This phenomenon is due to the high concentration of hydrogen sulfide.
Black salt is often confused with Thursday salt. Thursday salt is a food component of Russian culture, which was prepared according to a special recipe on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week. Large minerals of white salt were mixed with rye crumb or kvass thick, and then buried in ashes and kept for several more hours. The cooking process was necessarily accompanied by special prayers and conspiracies. Black and Thursday salt are two different food products, the composition and useful properties of which differ in all respects.
Useful properties of the component
Salt enhances appetite and improves metabolic processes. Seasoning helps a person to quickly get enough, and the body as effectively as possible to cope with the flow of energy fuel. The ingredient is used in traditional medicine as a means of gas and constipation. This drug efficacy is based on the composition of the salt. The product improves intestinal motility and has a safe laxative effect. Also, the component serves as a finishing cleaner. Salt relieves the stomach of the remnants of indigestible food, relieves pain and discomfort in the abdominal cavity. Traditional medicine involves the use of black crystalline powder to eliminate the effects of poisoning.
Do not use black salt as a medicinal ingredient without consulting a doctor. The component can cause nausea, vomiting, exacerbation of diseases and a number of unpleasant symptoms.
Black salt does not retain water in the cells, as usual cooking. The ingredient is much easier and more efficient to remove from the body without causing him harm. Black salt promotes cell regeneration, strengthens the skeletal system and relaxes the muscular system.
The component can be used for therapeutic baths. The procedure will cleanse the nasopharynx, nourish the skin with vitamins / nutrients and help restore the psycho-emotional balance. Crystalline powder is perfect for inhalation and prevention of allergies. Pharmacies sell special devices for inhalation, the appearance of which resembles a miniature teapot. The set of the device provides a set of special salts, which can be combined and used for the treatment / protection against allergens / cosmetic procedures / prevention of allergies and diseases.
For medicinal and prophylactic purposes, it is necessary to use pharmacy salt. The component undergoes a special pharmaceutical treatment and becomes safe for ingestion / ingestion. Normal salt can irritate the mucous membranes and inflame sensitive areas of the body.
What else is useful ingredient:
- supports water and acid-base balance of the body;
- promotes the transmission and generation of nerve impulses;
- stabilizes the transport function, regulates the transfer of fluid and nutrients to the cells;
- increases the tone and strength of the muscular system;
- improves the digestive system;
- It has chlorine, which is part of the blood, bile and gastric juice.
Lack of salt leads to disruption of the heart, blood vessels, digestion, provokes the development of depressive states and mental disorders. Deficiency is accompanied by headache, incessant nausea. In severe cases, it can be fatal.
Product Use
Cookery
The component is rarely used in world culinary practices. The taste of black salt is more neutral than salty, and the overall palette is unremarkable. Most often crystalline powder is consumed by local peoples living near the place of issue. This is due to the availability and proximity of the ingredient.
Nutritionists advise to abandon the usual table salt and switch to safer and more useful varieties. Black salt is quite suitable for the role of a quality surrogate. It can be found in the nearest supermarket or local health food store. After a few days of use, you will notice an improvement in digestive function, normalization of stool, leveling of skin tone and lack of edema.
Cosmetology
Black salt is used for massages and abrasive scrubs for the face, body, and scalp. The absolute advantage of the component is safety and hydration. Salt has wound-healing and nourishing properties that enrich the skin, improve its elasticity and color.
Scrub can be prepared independently from improvised components. Take any vegetable oil, mix with black crystalline powder and apply on the body. With intense massage movements, “drive” the mixture into the skin for about 5-10 minutes. At the end of the procedures, wash off the mixture with warm water and your favorite cleanser. If you want the vegetable oil to remain on the skin, wash off the abrasive particles with warm water and pat the skin dry with a towel. Already after the first procedure, a layer of dead skin will come off, and the body will become soft to the touch. With the help of a natural scrub, you can solve the problem of ingrown hairs and constant peeling.
What is dangerous ingredient
In 2011, a group of Australian scientists tracked the human brain’s response to sodium. It turned out that its nature and specificity is very similar to the reaction to heroin, nicotine and cocaine – active drugs. Scientists explained this constant need for salt and the formation of the habit of adding salt to food. A person has forgotten how to feel and enjoy the natural taste of food, and concentrated seasonings have seized power over the receptors. What is the risk?
Early aging
Salt is found everywhere – in chocolate, cottage cheese, vegetables and industrial semi-finished products. The initial concentration of sodium does not seem satisfactory to everyone, so a few additional crystalline pinches are used. Daily salt intake leads to fluid retention. A person gets constant swelling, swelling, flabby skin condition, decreased elasticity and degree of moisture. Constantly dry and dehydrated skin ages early, loses elasticity, becomes covered with acne and wrinkles.
Heart pathology
Fluid retention in the body provokes not only aging, but also an increase in blood pressure. The American Heart Association claims that high blood pressure is a completely natural occurrence in adulthood. A person is constantly exposed to hypertension, stroke and heart failure, and salt consumption forms an additional trigger that reduces the chances of a healthy and quality existence.
Scientists from the Center for Nutrition of the World Health Organization and the European Center for Hypertension in Naples have proven the link between salt and heart disease. Reducing the consumption of sodium crystals by 5 grams minimizes the risk of developing a heart attack by 23%, and the likelihood of heart and vascular diseases by 17%.
Cognitive function
The Canadian study “Sodium intake and cognitive maintenance in older adults: the NuAge Study” proved the link between salt intake and human cognitive abilities. Scientists selected 1200 subjects with equal satisfactory brain activity and selected a sodium diet on 3 for the year. In addition to the diet, lifestyle changes were planned (sedentary work, lack of exercise, periodic testing). All subjects were diagnosed with reduced cognitive abilities.
To reduce the risk of pathogenic exposure to sodium, you need to play sports, use the brain in complex logical operations (solving mathematical problems, reading literature, studying poems, analyzing logical examples), more often in the open air and balancing the diet.
High load on internal organs
Excess salt retains fluid in the body. Water remains in order to dilute the sodium concentration. Around the cell increases the amount of fluid, the volume of blood in the bloodstream increases, blood pressure rises and the load on the heart and kidneys is created. After some time, the functionality of the organs falls, and the risk of developing diseases, on the contrary, is extremely high.
According to the report “Dietary salt and gastric ulcer”, sodium has a negative effect on the gastric mucosa and can provoke an ulcer. The World Cancer Research Foundation and the National Cancer Institute list salt as one possible cause of stomach cancer.
Swelling of limbs
Eden (swelling) can be caused not only by fluid retention, but also by the menstrual cycle, genetic predisposition, and temporary body conditions. Eden provokes diseases of the heart and blood vessels, which are the basis of the cause of premature death. The World Health Organization urges countries to reduce salt intake and, by the year of 2025, wants to minimize the demand for crystalline powder by 30%. Scientists predict that such measures will save millions of lives and improve the health of a whole generation.
How to properly and in what dosage can be used
Consumption of sodium (salt) should occur in combination with foods that contain potassium. Potassium helps to remove and absorb salt, without losing fluid and excessive stress on the body. Their ratio is 1: 2 or 1: 4 (potassium prevails).
Neutralizing potassium is found in such products:
- plain filtered water;
- dried apricots, raisins, prunes, bananas;
- pine nuts, peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, cashews;
- parsley, brussels sprouts, avocado.
The daily rate of potassium is 4-5 grams per day.
For an adult, 1-2 grams of sodium is enough, which corresponds to 1 teaspoon of salt per day. On days of intense physical and / or mental stress, the concentration can be increased to 2-3 teaspoons. But keep in mind that sodium isn’t just found in salt. In addition to the recommended teaspoon, sodium comes from fish, seafood (seaweed), green beans, celery, spinach, raisins, and industrial foods like cheese and smoked sausage.
Don’t cut out salt completely. Sodium is one of the most important components that regulates the functionality of the human body. With a rational approach to nutrition, a deficiency / surplus of elements occurs extremely rarely, but it will not hurt to periodically update the menu and monitor the reaction of the systems. Remember: without sodium, it is impossible to maintain healthy blood pressure and heart function. Learn to regulate your diet according to your goals/needs and stay healthy.