Salt is essential for your body
In the quest for health, it is very important to understand the difference between table salt and organic (unrefined) sea salt. Salt and sodium are both used but this is not correct. Salt is sodium chloride which is 40% sodium and 60% chloride by weight. These two minerals must be in a constant dynamic balance because they bring nutrients and waste products through the cell membranes. When there is too much or too little of these two minerals the permeability (permeability) of the cell membranes is affected and this has an effect on the cell pressure.
Salt is needed for:
- The moisture balance, electrolyte balance and pH (acid/base) balance.
- It is also necessary for the production of gastric acid which is the digestive enzyme secreted by the stomach to break down protein.
- Together with potassium salt is needed for the proper function of nerves and muscle contraction. It is important for the absorption of potassium.
- It promotes the ability of the blood to transport carbon dioxide from the lung tissue.
So it's easy to see that salt is essential for health but not all forms of salt are healthy and too much salt is also unhealthy.
Is too much salt unhealthy?
It's often said that we eat too much salt. People with high blood pressure and heart problems are advised to eat less salt. Our food often contains too much salt: salt as a seasoning, salt as a preservative. Especially in prepared and pre-packed food, we find this, which means that we quickly ingest too much salt. So if we do not pay careful attention to our diet, we get too much salt. Paying careful attention to food and eating less salt is a possibility. However, there are also alternatives with fewer drawbacks then regular kitchen salt, so that we don't get too much salt in our diet.