There has been a lot of talk about salt in recent years. Doctors recommend minimizing salt intake, as it is significantly unhealthy. At the same time, other experts claim that salt is an indispensable element of our diet. What is myth and what is true? Is salt white poison or white gold?
The answer is somewhere in between. Both excessive salt intake and lack of it are hazardous to health. Why is salt so important to the human body?
- Salt is the main element of our nutritional needs and consists of two trace elements necessary for the normal functioning of the body – sodium and chlorine.
- Sodium chlorine is a part of all body fluids – blood, lymph, gastric juice, bile, saliva, sweat, tears, as well as many enzymes. It participates in maintaining homeostasis (self-regulation) of the body, the constancy of its internal environment.
- Salt maintains osmotic pressure in the cells and tissues of the body, coordinating the exchange of water between the cell and the intercellular space.
- Salt plays an important role in conducting electrical impulses in the muscle and nerve tissues of the body, including the heart.
- Chlorine is part of hydrochloric acid, which is the most important part of gastric juice, and the digestive enzyme amylase.
Everything can be medicine or poison, it all depends on the dose. Unfortunately, most people overuse salt, which is extremely unhealthy.
Why can salt become a "poison" for the body?
High salt content disrupts the body's natural sodium balance, causing fluid retention, which in turn increases pressure on the blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure rises and hypertension gradually develops. Hypertension is called the "silent killer" because there are no noticeable warning signs or symptoms before a heart attack or stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in old age. High blood pressure is the most important risk factor for this disease, accounting for over 60% of all cases.
But at the same time, it is equally important to know that with a significant lack of salt in the body, there may be a drop in blood pressure, weakness, headache, in more advanced cases, convulsions and heart dysfunction.
The simplest recommendation I can give you is to keep your balance. Under no circumstances should you completely exclude salt from your diet, but also not use it in excessive quantities. The recommended daily intake of salt is less than 5 g (1 teaspoon without top), taking into account all foods consumed.
How to avoid excess salt in your diet?
In cafes and restaurants, you do not need to add salt to food, and it is recommended to choose salads and soups from those cooked without canned food. It is advisable to cook on your own, which is much healthier and tastier than in public catering or in the fast food system. By eating at home, you can avoid excess salt in your food. Of course, you need to add it during cooking, but you don't need to add salt after cooking.
To improve the taste, it is better to add fresh or dried herbs, lemon, garlic, onion, ginger, pepper, then much less salt is required.
It is believed that when making soups or liquid food, salt should be added at a rate of less than 5 grams per liter of water.
It should also be mentioned that iodized salt must be used to prevent iodine deficiency.
Remember, it is important to reduce your salt intake, but do not eliminate it completely from your diet.