| There are conflicting arguments about
the salt we intake. Should we or not reduce our dietary intake?
Salt is vital for our nerve endings and muscles and helps our
body absorb nutrients which are so vital to our well-being.
Our body's defenses help regularise our intake. Too much of
the white stuff makes us thirsty. Consequently we drink more
fluids, our bodies become bloated and we increase our volume.
More blood volume means our blood needs to increase its pressure
to circulate. Hence hypertension is the result. Too little salt
has the contrary effects. Too little leaves us feeling lightheaded,
as a result of low blood volume and low blood pressure.
Besides the health arguments, salt has close ties to religious
and non-religious beliefs. In Jewish religion, salt is given
as an offering to god. For those who do not pertain to any
religion, it is believed that salt helps disperse evil spirits,
hence the expression throw salt over your shoulder.
An average adult's daily sodium intake is about 3.5g per
day which is equivalent to 9g of salt per day. Some added
in cooking and at the table but the largest part comes from
processed food such as chilled and canned foodstuffs, spreads,
packaged snacks, both savoury and sweet.
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In food preparations, salt is the
world's cheapest food enhancer. It makes cheap, bland food
more palatable, more enjoyable. Indisputably there's nothing
like grinding coarse salt to your favourite meal.
The salt we use in the kitchen or at table originates from
the sea. Its chemical composition is the same as sea salt
before processing. Pure salt is chemically known as sodium
chloride containing traces of sulphur, zinc, magnesium, iron
and potassium. Here are a variety of different salts available
on the market nowadays:
Rock Salt (100% sodium chloride)
- the most common cooking salt, is mined and pumped up with
water from salt deposits around the world. The salt and water
mixture is then left to evaporate and the end product is used
as a cooking salt. It is also used in industry in the manufacture
of soap, glass and paper.
Cooking and table salt -
is extremely refined rock salt with added magnesium carbonate
which is an anti-cake ingredient.
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Seasalt
- is obtained from the ancient method of drying sea water
by using the sun's rays and wind. During this process the
sea water is evaporated and the crystals are left in the pans.
The remaining residual liquid is further evaporated by boiling.
The crystals are then aired and packaged.
Low sodium salt -
is cooking salt which has reduced percentage of sodium. It
is a salt substitute which is aimed at people who suffer from
high blood pressure. These alternatives are bulked up with
potassium chloride instead.
In industry, salt is also used as a principal ingredient
in the preservation of food. This method has been handed down
through generations since Roman times, as it was commonplace
before being replaced by refrigerators. Home salting is not
a common thing especially with our increased awareness of
reducing our salt intake |
