INTRODUCTION
In this article, we are going to understand a little more about Salt. Common Salt, a common ingredient present on our dining table and in our food. For many of us, it is challenging to eat or even to imagine food prepared without putting Salt in it. Yes; Salt has become a common ingredient in our day to day diet. Any food, whether it is home-made or a Processed food, has Salt added in it. We (Our taste buds) have become so used to it that; it is tough to eat food without having Salt in it. However, wait;
Have you ever thought that this common Salt which is such a common food ingredient would be harmful to our health?
If not, then it is better to start thinking about this, because the answer to this is Yes, excess salt intake for a long duration can negatively impact our health.
Salt is chemically known as Sodium Chloride (It is a compound made up of Sodium and Chlorine). The excess intake of Sodium through Salt is responsible for the negative impact of Salt on our health.
How? To understand this, we must first understand the actual requirement of Salt for our body. That means;
How much salt should we consume each day?
As per WHO guidelines the of Salt consumption should not be more than 5 gm/day
Unfortunately, for most of us, daily salt consumption exceeds this recommended amount. Most of the foodstuff (Processed food or Home-made food) we consume contains a high amount of Salt. Many of us are being unaware of it ends up consuming much more Salt than the daily requirement.
The Common foodstuffs which can have a high salt content are:
- Bread
- Pizza
- Sandwiches
- Cold cuts & Processed Meat
- Burritos and Tacos
- Soups
- Chicken, whole pieces
- Cheese
- Pickles
- Eggs and omelettes
- Pasta
- Meat mixed dishes
- Bacon and Sausages
- Condiments (E.g. ketchup)
- Salad dressings and vegetable oils
- All ready-to-eat cereal
- Fish
- French fries and other fried white potatoes
- Cakes and pies
The excess consumption of Salt is associated with significant health risk. It can be harmful to the many organ systems in our body (E.g. Heart, Kidneys, Brain, Blood vessels, bones, etc.). We will discuss these health problems in detail in our next article.
- https://images.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/salt-reduction
- https://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/top_25_foods_that_add_the_most_sodium_to_your_diet
