Salt chemically is NaCl i.e. 1 Atom of Sodium (Na) & 1
Atom of Chlorine (Cl). Table salt constitutes of Sodium, Chlorine & Iodine.
Iodine is mixed in table salt in a very small quantity as mostly all humans mix
table salt in their food so all humans can easily get iodine for the proper
functioning of their thyroid gland.
Table salt approximately constitutes of 40 to 45 % sodium. Sodium
is required by body for the proper functioning nerves & for nerves to
properly send signals. When nerves properly send signals then muscles function
properly. Sodium attracts water thus it also helps in regulating body fluids. When
the level of water is less in body sodium helps to retain it & prevents
dehydration or if sodium levels are high then body retains water to dilute the
excess sodium. If sodium levels
increases & this keeps happening daily for a long period then its consequences
are severe.
It’s the function of kidneys to excrete the excess sodium from
body by producing more urine. Sodium also promotes excretion of calcium a vital
mineral for the bones & excess of calcium excretion can cause bones to
become brittle & there are also chances of kidney stones due to calcium.
When the quantity of sodium is too high then it becomes
difficult for kidneys to excrete it & as I mentioned above sodium attracts
water & due to the excess sodium in body fluid retention can happen. Due to
fluid retention heart has to put more efforts to circulate the blood throughout
the body & this increases strain on arteries. If this continues to happen
for a long time then the arteries become less elastic.
As per WHO’s guidelines an adult shouldn’t consume more than
2000 mg of Sodium per day. 2000 mg sodium is approximately 5 grams of salt.
Mostly people don’t use salt for the proper functioning of
the body & even don’t know the side effects of excess sodium in body. They
just use it for enhancing the taste of food. Food served in restaurants &
eateries generally contains more salt than normal to make the food tastier. Most
of the people that cook food in restaurants & those that eat it aren’t
aware of the side effects of excess sodium. The just enjoy their food &
keep visiting those restaurants or eateries as they relish it. Many people eat
many dishes at once when they visit restaurants. Many dishes means taking much
salt as all dishes have some salt.
Some restaurants know the side effects of excess sodium hence
they generally use less salt in food & serve salt in a small container for
those that want to relish their food with extra salt. However this habit isn’t
also good. Salt is hydrophyllic so it draws moisture of the food ingredients
& thus the taste & aromas of different ingredients get mixed together
when salt is cooked with them. Adding salt once the food is cooked only gives
psychological satisfaction however doesn’t enhance the taste of food.
Some salt companies produce low sodium salts & those that
are fond of eating salt too much should go for it.
Potassium is also a vital element like sodium; however unlike
Sodium Potassium doesn’t cause water retention. Both are electrolytes. If 1
knows that she/he has taken sodium in excess then it will make sense for
her/him to add some potassium to her/his stomach as body has an ability to
release excess sodium it held if the potassium levels rise. Bananas are rich
source of potassium that’s why there has been a trend amongst some people of
eating bananas after meals.
References: -
Härtl, Gregory. WHO issues new guidance on dietary salt and
potassium. January 31, 2013. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2013/salt_potassium_20130131/en/ (accessed June 7, 2015).
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