Salt, also known as sodium chloride, imparts flavor to food and is also used as a preservative, binder, and stabilizer. The human body needs very small amounts of sodium (this is the primary element that we obtain from salt) to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. But too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, stomach cancer, kidney problems, osteoporosis, and more.
How long salt is not harmful to health.
Unfortunately, I did not find information about the minimum “dose” of salt required for a person. As for the optimal amount, different studies provide different data. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) website states that reducing the daily salt intake to 5 grams or less reduces the risk of heart attack by 23% and the overall rate of cardiovascular disease by 17%.
With the majority of US adults at risk of salt-related diseases, nutrition experts at the Harvard School of Public Health, the American Heart Association, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest have called on the US government to lower the upper limit of the daily recommended intake of salt to 1,5 grams. , especially in risk groups, which include:
• people over 50;
• people with high or mildly high blood pressure;
• patients with diabetes
One of my acquaintances, when we were discussing the topic of salt, it seemed that reducing the daily salt intake to 5 grams is very easy. However, according to the WHO, the daily salt intake in European countries is much higher than the recommended level and is about 8-11 grams.
The fact is that it is necessary to take into account not only the salt with which we add salt to food from the salt shaker, but also the salt that is already contained in industrially prepared food, bread, sausages, canned food, sauces, etc. For example, 80% of salt consumption in the European Union comes from processed foods such as cheese, bread, prepared meals. Therefore, many people consume much more salt than they think, and this negatively affects their health.
Salt is sold in various forms:
– Unrefined salt (e.g. sea, Celtic, Himalayan). This is a natural salt that is harvested by hand and does not undergo industrial processing. Such salt has a natural taste (different for each type and region of production) and an individual mineral composition (may contain a small amount of calcium or magnesium halides, sulfates, traces of algae, bacteria resistant to salt, as well as sediment particles). It also tastes less salty.
– Refined food or table salt, which has undergone industrial processing and is almost 100% sodium chloride. Such salt is bleached, special substances are added to it so that it does not stick together, iodine, etc.
Table salt is non-living, oven-dried, lacking in minerals and over-processed.
I recommend using quality sea salt, such as Celtic Sea salt, or Himalayan salt, or French salt hand-picked in Brittany (pictured). You can buy it, for example, here. These salts are dried by the sun and the wind, they contain enzymes and about 70 trace elements. Among them, for example, magnesium, which is involved in the removal of toxic substances from the body.
Many of us are used to food that tastes very salty because we often eat industrially produced foods that are high in salt. If we switch to natural products, we will be able to better feel and appreciate the nuances of tastes and will not regret at all about giving up salt. I have been using significantly less salt in my cooking for several months now, and I can honestly report to you that I began to experience more different tastes in food. To an untrained body, my food may seem bland, so I gradually gave up salt, reducing its intake daily.
For those who want to know more about the negative effects of excessive salt intake, here are some data.
Бубрежне болести
For most people, excess sodium causes kidney problems. When sodium builds up in the blood, the body begins to retain water in order to dilute the sodium. This increases the amount of fluid surrounding the cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. The increase in blood volume increases the stress on the heart and increases the pressure in the blood vessels. Over time, this can lead to problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, heart failure. There is some evidence that excessive salt intake can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys without raising blood pressure, and that it is also harmful to the skeletal system.
Кардиоваскуларне болести
Recent research in the Archives of Internal Medicine has provided additional evidence for the negative health effects of salt. Scientists have found that people who eat a high-salt diet are at higher risk of dying from a heart attack. In addition, consumption of large amounts of sodium was found to increase the risk of death by 20%. In addition to raising blood pressure, sodium too much can lead to stroke, heart disease, and heart failure.
Рак
Scientists say that increased intake of salt, sodium or salty foods provokes the development of stomach cancer. The World Cancer Research Foundation and the American Institute for Cancer Research have concluded that salt and salty and salty foods are “a possible cause of stomach cancer.”
Извори:
Светска здравствена организација
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