Salt and health

"Lately it has become fashionable to completely abandon the use of salt, say, salt and sugar - our white enemies. And there were times when the salt is substituted for the money and was the cause of untold" salt "the riots caused by high taxes on salt (for example, in Moscow 1648), or natural "campaigns of protest" (India, the beginning of XX century.) against the monopolization of the production of salt by the British colonialists. "
I. Lapshin

Salt, sodium chloride is a natural mineral substance. There is evidence that the production of salt is even 3-4 thousand years BC in Libya. Salt is evaporated from the water (the famous lake and Elton Baskunchak), extracted from the bowels of the earth, from sea water (sea salt). World geological reserves of salt are practically inexhaustible. In Russia in the XVI century the famous Russian businessmen Stroganoffs biggest revenue received from the salt. From the foothills of the Urals salt went to Moscow, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Kaluga, even abroad. Know more salt mines in Spain, Germany and Austria. In a given volume of each country in the world is the extraction of any kind of salt. Currently, world production of salt, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, about 193 million tons per year and significant volumes are more than 100 countries.

The world's largest producer of salt at the country level are the United States. However, they are not able to fully meet their needs for salt from local production and are forced to buy substantial amounts of sodium chloride in the external market.

The most expensive type of salt is a high vacuum salt, it is several times more expensive than rock salt and evaporated. Solerastvory - the cheapest form of salt, and is used in industry, as well as low-grade salt used for de-icing roads. The average price of table salt to date is 15 USD ton.

But once the salt was an expensive commodity. Lomonosov wrote that while the four small pieces of salt in Abyssinia could buy a slave. Salt was served on the table in the expensive salt shaker, it took care of savings, it boasted: the presence of salt on the table was a sign of wealth and prosperity. Salt stocked up in case of disasters and it paid instead of money. The Latin word "salarium" and the English word "salary", meaning "salary", "salary" - have a "salt" origins. Because of the salt took place, popular unrest and military conflict - remember the famous "salt riots and wars for deposits of rock salt and salt water. The value of the salt gave rise to a number of proverbs, sayings, aphorisms, which underscored the profound significance of salt in human life. One proverb "You can live without gold, but without the salt can not be" worth something!

"While the white death is considered to be salt and sugar, cocaine can sleep calmly."
Humor.

However, in 1960 with a light hand, Herbert Shelton, Paul Bragg, and table salt dubbed the "white death", and this statement There is until now. It all began with an announcement of salt instigator of hypertension, renal failure, coronary heart disease and obesity. This is partly true, but not absolutely necessary to encourage all to avoid salt, it's also inflection.

Thus, salt (sodium chloride) is an essential element for human activity and wildlife, as well as a commodity, with a wide range of industrial applications. Salt is the basis for the production of chemicals, especially chlorine and caustic soda, which is produced on the basis of many plastics, including PVC, aluminum, paper, soap and glass. According to expert estimates, the salt in the present conditions, directly or indirectly, has more than 14 thousand applications.

Let us known to all salt, which most of us eat. Thus, salt - a crystalline sodium chloride, contains 39.4% sodium and 60.6% chlorine. As is known, is easily soluble in water of any temperature.

Sodium is one of the major cations required for the implementation of the vital functions of human organism. In our bodies about 50% of the total sodium is in the extracellular fluid, 40% - in the bones and cartilage, about 10% - in the cells. Sodium is a part of bile, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, pancreatic juice, milk.

Sodium is involved in maintaining acid-base balance, the exchange of sodium is an important link in water-salt metabolism of the organism, provides a constant osmotic pressure. Sodium-potassium pump provides the movement of amino acids and glucose across the cell membrane. It is also necessary for normal functioning of nerve endings, transmission of nerve impulses and muscular activity, including heart muscle, as well as for the assimilation of certain nutrients in the small intestine and kidneys.

It must be borne in mind that the sodium we consume not only the salt but also with other compounds of sodium as preservatives (sodium nitrate), flavor additives (monosodium glutamate) or baking powder (sodium bicarbonate).

Chlorine, in turn, participates in the formation of special substances that promote lipolysis. Needed in the formation of hydrochloric acid - the main component of gastric juice, takes care of the excretion of urea, stimulates sexual and central nervous systems, promotes the formation and growth of bone tissue. Muscle tissue contains human 0,20-0,52% chlorine, bone - 0,09%, the bulk of the trace element found in the blood and extracellular fluid.

The daily demand for salt in the temperate zone - 10-15 grams per day (annual demand rights in the salt is 7 kg). In tropical countries is greater separation of sweat, increasing fluid intake, and therefore need more salt. In cold climates, water-salt metabolism is not so intense, there is less consumption of salt. That is why a long time without salt can live many peoples of the North, such as the Chukchi and Eskimos. The need for salt increases with physical exertion. And water to quench your thirst is not recommended to drink boiled, not distilled, and mineral that includes sodium chloride. But after intensive loads (such as after a long hiking) is recommended to drink lightly salted water and not try to quench your thirst with pure water from mountain streams, where a very low salt content. With significant loss of sodium chloride organism (anacatharsis, prolonged diarrhea) intake of salt greatly increased, and in some cases even necessary to introduce saline solution intravenously.

Pregnant and lactating women need more sodium. During pregnancy blood volume increases by 50% with one child and even more if several of them. Accordingly, increases and the amount of water retained in the cells. Minor swelling - is normal during pregnancy. Do not limit yourself because of this in the consumption of salt, and furthermore do not use diuretics. Liquid pregnant need to increase blood circulation and to rapidly growing cells of the Child, as well as to create a "mother stock" of blood, so necessary during childbirth. So talk about the draft of pregnant women to salinity were justified.

Adding salt in cooking and in prepared meals needed, with natural products it has not been sufficient. For a normal person under normal, non-extremal conditions, it is proposed approximately the consumption of salt: 10 g in the form of natural products, and 5 g dosalivanie food when cooking and podsalivanie during meals. Salt content in food varies greatly: it is highest in bread, cheese and meat products; in plant - it depends on the species and growing conditions, and in sugar, sodium chloride and non-existent.

For cooking and podsalivaniya than common salt, obtained from different sources and different ways (rock salt, evaporated, sedimentary) also use sea salt in food, which, in addition to sodium chloride, are potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium carbonate, calcium sulfate and more iron, boron, iodine, phosphorus, silicon. Due to these mineral supplements, sea salt is considered more useful. Another use of iodized salt, fluoridated, fluoridated and iodized-a so-called "salt with a reduced sodium content - there is a part of sodium chloride is replaced by potassium chloride, and it is recommended to those who are forced to reduce their salt intake for health reasons.

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1 / 3 of the population of the Earth (including a considerable proportion of the population of Russia) live in areas with varying degrees of iodine-deficient. The latter leads to increased cases of thyroid disease and delayed mental and physical development of children. Iodization of table salt is carried out abroad for the past 60 years. At the same time in Russia in 1998, iodized salt is completely absent from store shelves. Fortunately now we do not restrict the choice. But we must bear in mind - to save valuable microelements (iodine), it is better to cook and fry all nedosolennym and dosalivat food already in the plate - to your liking.

Table salt is used to prevent spoilage, as in the brine increased osmotic pressure, in which the bacterial cell suspending its vital functions. However, the brine is often used differently - as a panacea to relieve hangover. Timely reception of the brine also removes retch (important for pregnant women) and is a good cosmetics - pickle trays make hands soft and gentle, and washing your face with brine visually rejuvenates it (due to the inflow of water to the upper layers of skin and smooth fine lines) - these recipes in the past century and universally enjoyed aristocratic and commoner.

Excessive consumption of salt just as harmful as any excesses. At the use of salt in food is very important not to overdo it. And if the inexperienced cook a little too far with salt, then we can correct the situation by adding a potato and a handful of rice. But best of all nedosalivat - can dosolit already prepared dish. As the saying goes, "insufficient salting at the table, and oversalting on the back" - a saying for lazy housewives.

In some diseases, it is recommended to restrict salt intake - in cardiovascular, inflammatory, renal failure. In some cases, doctors prescribe salt-free diet - eating there exists only the salt that is contained in the products, without additional dosalivaniya, and foods high in sodium chloride (cheese, for example) is excluded. And in the most severe cases, appoint a special salt-free bread. But such salt-free diet is not prescribed for obesity, especially in the alimentary, when a man their extra pounds because of their unbridled appetite. Desalted food tasteless, poorly satisfied, and makes one want to eat something tasty. Hence the failure of diet, and bouts of bulimia.

Still, due to the fact that the easiest way to lose weight by reducing the amount of water in the body - many hudeyuschego did refuse salt. With such an unreasonable method of weight loss in addition to water from the body and leave vital elements, including sodium, chlorine, potassium, magnesium. In salt-free diet can lose weight quickly, in just a few days, but very briefly, this weight will soon return back (well, if no gain) - because the fluid in organs and tissues is quickly restored. But even this seeming loss of weight can lead to shortages of mineral trace elements, with all its troubles.

At the same time with a fondness for salt salty soul "are attracted to salt, not even tasted the food, and normal ambassadors seem to them fresh. But peresolennaya food - is the appearance of edema, increased load on the kidneys, high blood pressure and early development of atherosclerosis. And one more insidious: too salty snacks stimulate appetite, and hence, overeating, leading to overweight - a nasty load on the entire body: primarily on the cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system. I noticed that after a salty foods pulls on fatty and sweet. That is why some restaurants sly served salty snacks to attendees after they invariably order something "dense", and then another and confectionery.

If you are accustomed dosalivat dishes during the meal, do try to give up salt while cooking. And as flavor additives for food or salad dressing, take fresh or dried herbs and spices. Pickles, pickles, salted meat and smoked meat should occupy in your diet is the last place. For example, stock cubes contain on average about 60% of salt per unit weight, smoked salmon - 5%, sauerkraut - 2%. And when you use ready-made condiments and sauces need to pay attention to the label, which indicates the content of salt. Thus, for example, know that soy sauce mixed in the salt, and its replacement it is not.

A useful alternative to salt - lemon juice, garlic and pepper. There is widespread salt with low sodium - half sodium and half potassium. However, if you have diabetes or kidney disease you are suffering from such replacements is better to refuse, in patients with diabetes is often delayed potassium in the body, so they need to ensure that its contents did not reach dangerously high levels, people with kidney disease also are difficulties with the release of potassium, so that they, too, should limit their consumption. In turn, miso, tamari or soy, used in Oriental dishes, are concentrated sources of sodium, but used only in small quantities.

In conclusion - everything must be in a measure, you should not go to extremes. Note, this applies not only to the use of salt ...