importance and effects of table salt

Table salt

Introduction

The chemical name of common salt is Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Sodium chloride contains 39% of Sodium, an element which never occurs in free form in nature. It is found associated with many minerals especially in plentiful amount with Chlorine.

Sodium Chloride when dissolved in water yield Sodium in the body and found in extracellular fluids. Sodium ions make up 93% of the basic ions in the blood. Common salt is obtained mainly from the seawater

Sodium Chloride is highly soluble in water. When common salt is kept open, it absorbs moisture from the air due to the presence of small Magnesium Chloride in it. Magnesium chloride is a deliquescence compound that has a tendency of absorbing water moisture from the air to a solution.

Why table salt is most important in our body?

Some amount of salt is definitely important to the body because of the following functions, it serves in the body.

         i.NaCl is an important constituent of our blood (0.9 gm in every 100ml). it is important for the maintenance of Red Blood cells and help the protein to dissolves.

       ii.Sodium as one component of table salt plays an important role in the regulation of acid base balance in the body fluids including blood, lymph, tears and gastrointestinal secretions.

      iii. A saline drip is given to patients suffering from a severe loss of salts from the body as in Cholera, Dysentery, Vomiting just a few to mention.

     iv.            Chloride ion help in the formation of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach for digestion.

        v.Chloride ion is important component of blood plasma.

     vi.Sodium ions play a party in the electrical activity of the heart. Exchange of sodium and potassium in the pacemaker cell of the heart’s Sino-atrial node causes the heart to beat.

    vii. Sodium ions are important transporter of substances across cell membranes.

  viii. Sodium ions help to retain water in the body and maintain water balance.

     ix.Sodium ions help in the conduction of nerve impulses and contraction of muscles.

What amount of salt should a person take daily to maintain a healthy status?

Expert suggests a maximum salt intake of 5 gm per day for an adult without a family history of blood pressure. If there is a family history then a salt may be reduced to 2 gm per day.

However, increased salt intake warranted during hot summer days and periods of heavy exertion that cause profuse sweeting since salt and water are lost when we perspire or sweat. The white spots left in our coloured clothes by the drying sweat during summer are because of sodium chloride deposition. This is because when sweat dries from the clothes, water in it evaporatyes leaving behind sodium chloride which produces white spots on the clothes.

Sever salt loss in the body manifests muscle cramps, irritability and apathy.

What are harmful effects of excess salts?

As I said before that salt is very important for normal health only if it is not taken in excess. The following are some of effect of improper use of salts.

         i.Salt is a stimulant: it stimulates Sympathetic  Nervous System and adrenal glands and creates stress arousal. That’s why it comes under the category of stress food.

       ii.Bronchial and lung problems: Deficiency of organic sodium in table salt results in bronchial and lung problems because organic sodium is required for the elimination of carbon dioxide from the system.

      iii.Salt increase uric acid: Excess of salt interferes with the elimination of certain wastes  of system like uric acid and therefore contributes indirectly to various diseases like gout.

     iv.Hardening of arteries: table salt is not completely soluble in water and tends to harden the arteries by its excessive use. For good health, that salt is required which is entirely soluble in water. The high temperature used for making table salt and element like potassium chloride and sulphate and other chlorides tend to inhibit the dissolving of salt in water.

       v.Worsening of Oedema: salt makes oedema worse and should be avoided in all oedematous states whether due to liver, kidney or endocrine diseases.

     vi.Increase in weight: excess salt in the body increases the weight of the body because of the following reasons. Kidneys eliminate excess salt from the body by filtering out the sodium that makes up part of the excess salt from the body by filtering out sodium that makes up part of the salt compound. In case sodium works less efficiently either because they have gone weak or because of lowered blood supply to them (because of weak heart), the kidneys excrete sodium less efficiently and more sodium is retained in the body. Since the kidneys are geared to maintain a fixed proportion of sodium to water in the blood, excess salt in the body means excess water too and hence the excess weight of the body.

    vii.Effect on kidney: excess salt puts a heavy burden on kidneys because they have to work harder to remove the excess salt. Hence they may gradually weaken. The kidney can not remove more than 2-4 gm per day. Salt that is excess in the body may bling undesirable effects.

  viii.The weakening of bones: eating too much salt can pull calcium from the bones making them weak. More calcium is also excreted in the urine with the ingestion of more table salt.

     ix.High blood pressure: Excess salt cause water rentation in the body and increase the blood volume and cardiac output resulting in high blood pressure. Considerable fall in B.P is observed with a reduction in dietary salt in Hypertension.

What are better substitute of table salt?

The following is alternative that should be admitted to reduce the harmful effects of table salt.

         i.For High B.P patients, the potassium salt is recommended than the sodium salt. Such salt is now available in the market with brand names ‘Annapurna salt’ and ‘saffola salt’ make a wise choice now,

       ii.Black salt: this is also considered better than ordinary table salt because it is organic in nature.

      iii.Rock salt is also considered better than table salt: salt is dug out from the rock deposits. It exists dissolved in water if found very deep, the saturated solution is then pumped out and evaporated to get the salt. In addition, this kind of salt is very soluble than table salts.

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