Salt and health: omnipresent and vital
Salt is omnipresent in our everyday lives and we can no longer imagine life without it. Whether on bread or in pasta water, salt can be used universally and adds spice to our lives. But what about Salt and health - effects on the human body? Without salt, some of our bodily functions could not be maintained. It is therefore not just a great flavor enhancer and raw material, but essential for life. However, despite its importance for our health, consuming too much salt can be harmful to our health. In this article, you will find out what functions salt has in the human body and how salt and health influence each other.
The composition of table salt: sodium, chloride and more
Common salt or table salt consists mainly of the two minerals sodium and chloride. Most table salt is also enriched with iodine and fluoride. This is to ensure a sufficient supply of iodine in the body, as the trace element iodine is an important building block for the formation of thyroid hormones, which influence physical and mental development. Both sodium and chloride perform a number of important tasks in the body, such as maintaining the fluid balance of cells, regulating blood pressure and transmitting stimuli from muscle or nerve cells. However, thanks to sodium, salt is also partly responsible for bone formation. If you would like to find out more about the importance of salt in our culture, read our article on the importance of bread and salt.
Salt and health are closely linked, but too much salt can be harmful to our bodies. Excessive salt intake can be a cause of low blood pressure or even high blood pressure. High blood pressure can in turn affect or damage many important organs such as the brain, kidneys, blood vessels and the heart. The occurrence of cardiovascular problems is one possible effect of excessive salt consumption. For more information on how salt is used in the diet, especially when pickling food, we recommend our article Now it's time for salting - pickling or pickling in salt.
Recommended amounts of salt: How much salt is healthy?
How much salt is okay? The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends consuming no more than five to six grams of salt a day. Nevertheless, the average salt consumption of Germans is between 6.3 and almost 10 grams per day. The extremely high level of salt consumption in Germany is mainly due to hidden salts in food. These account for as much as 85% of daily salt consumption. Certain foods, such as some types of sausage, meat or cheese, but also baked goods or dairy products, often contain much more salt than we are aware of. However, the highest salt levels are found in ready meals. Another interesting aspect is the tradition of Bread and salt for the weddingwhich shows how deeply rooted salt is in our culture.
Tips for healthy salt consumption: how to reduce salt in your diet
If you want to eat healthily and consume less salt, you should therefore follow these steps:
1. wholefood diet: try to cook fresh and increasingly with plant-based foods
2. cooking: Low-water cooking methods preserve food at its most wholesome and retain its own flavor
3. herbs: season with spices and herbs after cooking, then add salt afterwards