Contents
Table salt is not part of a healthy diet. However, it is needed in small amounts by the body due to the sodium content, which regulates the body’s water balance. How much salt can you eat in a day? What does its excess result in? We discover the properties and types of salt, as well as their use.
Salt – properties and composition
Salt, also known as table and brewed, is the basic source of sodium in our diet. Its main ingredient is sodium chloride (NaCl), which is used as a preservative and seasoning. Salt may also contain small amounts of iodine compounds.
The sodium that comes from table salt has many important functions in the body. It is primarily responsible for regulating water management. Together with potassium, it regulates the osmotic blood pressure. What’s more, it helps to maintain the appropriate excitability of nerve and muscle cells. In contrast, iodine, found only in certain types of salt, is used to produce thyroid hormones, which are essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Also read: Reducing the amount of salt you eat can help prevent stomach cancer
Salt and health – the standard of consumption
Contrary to popular belief that salt in the diet is a bad thing, you should not give it up completely, so as not to expose yourself to deficiencies of micronutrients necessary to maintain the body’s efficiency.
However, too little sodium supply is practically impossible, because salt is found in almost all prepared foods. It is used in enormous quantities to make cold meats, processed meats and cheeses. This is because, as an excellent preservative, it prolongs the freshness of the food. Salt is also found in highly processed foods (e.g. soups and powdered sauces), bouillon cubes, canned food, pickles and snacks such as crisps, nuts and crackers.
It is worth remembering that daily salt intake rate in an adult it is 5 g of salt, 2 g of sodium chloride. In healthy people, this dose does not cause any undesirable consequences. The recommendation to limit the use of salt in the kitchen to less than 6 grams applies to people with hypertension, kidney failure and those at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Excess salt retains water in the blood vesselsand thus increases the pressure prevailing there. When the kidneys are unable to cleanse the blood, it causes high blood pressure, which is the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Interestingly, according to specialists, salt can also affect the formation of stomach cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, as well as cause strokes and increase the irritability of the nervous system. The negative effects of salt also include leaching calcium from the body, which in turn may contribute to the development of osteoporosis, because the kidneys excrete sodium from the body and also excrete calcium.
See also: Prepared meals contain excessive amounts of salt
Salt – types of food salt and medicinal salt
Not every type of salt is associated with such unambiguous meaning as table salt, which received the infamous name of “white death”. However, is sodium chloride under other names actually healthier?
Food salt – types and properties
In grocery stores you can find, among others sea salt, ocean salt, Himalayan salt, Tibetan salt, Hawaiian salt, Indian black salt, blue salt and many more. They differ in the presence of various admixtures in the composition, which may affect the color of the crystals. And so, for example Himalayan salt contains iron oxide which tints light pink, a black indian salt has a bit of hydrogen sulfide. Despite this variation, each salt contains more than 95 percent sodium chloride. So it is impossible to talk about more and less healthy varieties of table salt.
You can buy Himalayan salt at Medonet Market. It is one of the purest and healthiest food salts available in the world. You will also find Kala-Namak VIVIO Black Salt available in a 250 g package.
The exception is sodium potassium saltwhich has a completely different taste than the white salt commonly used in the kitchen. It is slightly bitter because, in addition to sodium chloride (70–75%), it contains large amounts of potassium chloride (25–30%). Hence, it can help reduce sodium intake. However, it should be remembered that such salt is not suitable for people with renal insufficiency.
Rock salt, in turn, contains microelements such as: chromium, calcium, copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, iodine. It differs from the popular table salt in that it is not subjected to the leaching process. It also has a different color, most often gray (but it can also be blue, green or orange). It is considered the “healthier version” of salt because it is unprocessed and unrefined.
There are also many more types of salt available on the market, such as bamboo salt (sea salt roasted in bamboo cane) or smoked salt characterized by an intense, aromatic smell and taste, reminiscent of freshly smoked dishes.
Medicinal salt – types and properties
In some cases, salt may prove to be a natural remedy. Used outside the food industry, it reveals many beneficial properties:
- Bochnia salt (with calcium, magnesium, iodine and bromine ions) – used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, as well as cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive system diseases,
- ammonium salt (with ammonium) – it is used in the pharmaceutical industry, for the production of expectorant drugs,
- emska salt (with sulphates, magnesium and sodium carbonate) – works well in the treatment of catarrh of the respiratory tract and bronchial asthma.
- Dead Sea salt (with magnesium, calcium, sodium, chlorides, potassium, bromides, silicon, aluminum, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus) – it is effective in soothing dermatological changes, nourishes the skin, improves blood circulation and soothes aching joints.
In medicine, salt can be used as an ingredient in therapeutic baths or mixtures for compresses and inhalations. Salt can also be used as an ingredient in peeling or as a great moisture absorber. Salt can also be added to hot water, which is poured into a hot water bottle, which in turn will keep it warm for longer.
Industrial salt – types
This, in turn, is a type of salt that is used to sprinkle icy roads. However, keep in mind that this salt is not intended for consumption and contains sodium sulfate, an inorganic chemical compound (sulfuric acid salt and sodium). Sodium sulphate is used in the production of glass, detergents, dyes (ultramarine) or in the preparation of wood pulp, which is a semi-finished product for the production of paper.
As you might guess, consuming sodium sulfate can have very negative consequences for human health, including headaches, asthma, nausea and irritation of the digestive system. Sodium sulphate can also break down vitamin B1 (thiamin) in the body, which in turn is responsible for the proper use of carbohydrates (complex sugars).
How to limit salt intake?
To cut down on salt intake, basically it is enough to avoid its use in home cooking (do not salt or add salt to the food while cooking), and avoid foods that are rich in salt.
As salt is a product that is used very often in the kitchen, as it is found in many different dishes, it seems that it will be difficult to limit your consumption. However, salt can easily be replaced with many other spices such as thyme, basil and tarragon. These spices will give your dishes a great taste, while reducing the risk of contracting the diseases mentioned above. As for limiting the consumption of processed products (e.g. crisps or canned food), it is enough to buy frozen or fresh products instead. If you are preparing fish or vegetables, it is a good idea to steam them.
When it comes to limiting salt intake, it is also good to use low-sodium mineral water, i.e. one with a content of up to 100 mg of sodium and 300 mg of chloride.
Worth knowing: Excess salt in children delays puberty
Side effects of salt restriction
While high salt intake is not advisable, do so A diet that is too low in salt can also have negative side effects.
Several studies have shown that reduced salt diets may be associated with increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. These are fatty substances in the blood that can build up in your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. A large 2012 study found that a low salt diet increased blood cholesterol by 2,5 percent and blood triglycerides by 7 percent.
Another study also found that a low-salt diet increased “bad” LDL cholesterol by 4,6 percent and blood triglyceride levels by 5,9 percent.
Yet other studies have shown that salt restriction can cause resistance to insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting sugar from the blood to the cells. Insulin resistance makes insulin less effective and leads to higher blood sugar levels as well as an increased risk of diabetes.
A low salt diet can also lead to a condition called hyponatremia or low sodium in the blood. In case of hyponatremia, the body retains extra water due to low sodium levels, excessive heat, or overhydration, causing symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea, and dizziness.
Find out more: A lot of salt and little potassium are the most heart-deadening
Salt in the fight against cancer
Over the decades, scientists have developed an ever-growing arsenal of drugs to fight cancer. However, many of these drugs are toxic not only to cancer cells but also to healthy tissues. The search continues to find more effective treatments that have fewer negative effects on the rest of the body.
Authors of a new study, published in the journal Advanced Materials, have tested their theory that “sodium chloride nanoparticles (SCNPs) can be used as a Trojan horse strategy to deliver ions to cells and disrupt ion homeostasis.”
SCNPs contain millions of sodium and chlorine atoms, but the ion channels responsible for holding salt do not recognize them in this form. As a consequence, SCNPs are free to enter the cell, and once inside, they dissolve, releasing sodium and chloride ions which are trapped in the cell. These ions disrupt the cellular machinery and disrupt the plasma membrane. When the cell membrane ruptures, sodium and chlorine atoms are released. This, in turn, signals an immune response and inflammation.
By conducting research on mice, the scientists tested their theory. They injected SCNP into the tumors and plotted their growth. They compared the growth of these tumors with that of mice in the control group that received the same amount of sodium chloride in solution, not in the form of nanoparticles. The team found that SCNP inhibited tumor growth by 66% compared to the control group. Importantly, there were no indications that the SCNPs caused damage to any of the mice’s organs.
Salt – origin and history
According to scientists, the first evidence of salt extraction dates back to the Neolithic period, when the first saltworks were built. Sol was obtained by evaporating water from brines. One of the oldest places of this type is the brewhouse in Barycz near Wieliczka (6 thousand years ago). However, it was not until the Middle Ages that rock salt mines were established.
In ancient times, salt played a very important role, hence its name “white gold”. Already in ancient Rome, the naturalist Pliny the Elder spoke of her: “Two things are most important in the world: the sun and salt”. The importance of salt resulted from its use, as it was used to preserve meat and to heal wounds. In addition, it was also used as a means of payment (until recently, it was used by the inhabitants of Western Sahara). Therefore, salt was associated with enormous wealth, and guaranteed a high social position to its owner.
Salt – popular myths
Salt is a natural resource that can be found basically anywhere, it is tasty and can be really cheap to buy. However, like many other things, too much salt is not good, especially for our health.
Myth: Some people just love salt and need to get it in their diet at all costs.
Good news for those who think they are natural salt eaters – the taste of salty foods is learned, not programmed into us. It is possible to retrain your taste buds to like foods that contain less salt, although it will take some time. It is enough for the person to consume less salt gradually. Instead of processed foods, she should choose fresh products. She should also pay attention to labels and choose products that say “no salt added”, “low salt” or “salt reduced”. He may also start seasoning his dishes with various herbs and spices and avoid salting them up.
Myth: You can tell if your food is salty by simply tasting it.
Some foods with a high salt content will not taste too salty at all. Many packaged foods that are high in salt contain other ingredients that counterbalance the salty taste so that the salt is effectively hidden in the food.
Myth: You should eat or drink more salt after exercise
Salt comes out of the body in two ways – through urine and sweat – but that doesn’t mean we have to add extra salt to our diet every time we sweat. Some products, such as sports drinks, are advertised as a good way to replenish lost salt after a workout. Under normal circumstances, sports drinks containing electrolytes are not necessary for rehydration – the process of replacing lost fluids and salt. Tap water and a healthy diet will help replenish any nutrients lost during any activity.
Sports drinks can be used for rehydration if you have exercised continuously for 90 minutes or more. If you’re thinking of starting a new and strenuous exercise regimen and wondering how to stay hydrated properly, it’s worth talking to your healthcare provider about how this might affect our health and dietary needs.
Myth: If we had high blood pressure caused by too much salt, we would be able to find out for ourselves.
Over 30% of adult Australians have high blood pressure and, according to the Heart Foundation, half of them don’t even know it. Most people with high blood pressure show no symptoms, so it is important to check your blood pressure regularly. If we have high blood pressure, reducing salt, as well as exercising regularly, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, and reducing stress can help you cope with it, reducing your risk of disease and general health problems.