Salt improves the taste of the food. It lubricates the tissues and stimulates digestion.
Salty food helps to heal and nurture kidneys, adrenal bladder and thyroid in reasonable doses.
Sodium occurs naturally in many foods and is also added in the form of salt. Common salt or table salt is a chemical compound of sodium and chlorine and is called sodium chloride. Salt contains about 40 per cent sodium. So a teaspoon of salt weighing about 5 grams, contains about 2 grams of sodium.
The sodium content of food has important implications for health. Sodium is an essential nutrient needed for normal body function. A safe intake is considered to be between 0.9 and 2.3 grams of sodium per day, although in special circumstances, such as excessive sweating and diarrhea, higher levels may be recommended.
Sodium has an important role in maintaining the water balance within cells and in the function of both nerve impulses and muscles. Any extra sodium is excreted by the kidneys. Consuming excess sodium may lead to edema or water retention in the body.
Women who consume excess sodium may be at higher risk for developing osteoporosis even if calcium intake is adequate. Some evidence suggests that for each teaspoon of salt (2,000 mg of sodium) consumed, considerable calcium is excreted in the urine.
There is usually no need to increase salt intake in hot climates to avoid cramps, fainting and other symptoms. The hormones of the body will adjust over a few days and conserve the sodium.
Foods High in Sodium:
1. Processed foods such as soups, salad dressings, pasta sauces, canned or dry dinner mixes.
2. Frozen meals, cookies, crackers, sauces, condiments and dessert mixes.
3. Many canned vegetables are also seasoned with salt.
4. Half a cup of canned chick peas contain 300 mg of sodium.
5. Pickled olives, relishes and dills packed in vinegar and brine.
6. Cheeses contain high amounts of salt as well.
7. Smoked or canned meat and fish products
The sodium content in a 3 oz serving of Seafood ranges from 48mg for clams to 588mg for lobsters and from 619 mg for crabs to 1871 mg for caviar (almost equal to daily requirement of sodium).
High intake of salt is very dangerous. Salt becomes a ‘white poison’ in larger doses!