According to (Salt Institue, 2011) salt is an essential
nutrient that is required for life that the body cannot produce by itself and
touches our lives more than any other chemical compound. Salt is just as necessary for humans as water
is to survive we can die from too little salt just as well as of thirst. The body contains about 8 oz of salt which is
regulated by the kidneys and perspiration.
One of the components of salt is sodium (NA) which helps in muscle
contraction, heartbeat, nerve impulse, and digestion of body building protein. The other component of salt is chloride (Cl)
which is also important for good health.
Chloride preserves the acid-base balance in the body, aids in potassium
absorption, supplies the stomach acid, and enhances the ability of blood to
carry carbon dioxide from respiring tissues from the lungs. It is also
important to help in maintaining blood pressure and blood. Roughly 40% of the
body’s sodium is in the bone, some is found in other organs and cells, and the
remaining 55% is in the blood plasma and extracellular fluids. Americans consume about 3,500 mg/day of
sodium more with men and less with women.
The recommended values are more than 500 mg/day to 2,300mg/day. It is
recommended that 1,500 mg/day is the adequate intake level for most
Americans. Salt is also important to
hydration it is critical to replace both water and salt that was lost from the
body by perspiration. Very low sodium
diets could be problematic.
According to (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011) “Americans eat too much sodium, commonly consumed as salt.
High sodium consumption raises blood pressure. High blood pressure is a major
risk factor for heart disease and stroke, the nation's first and third leading
causes of death, respectively. We all need a small amount (e.g., between about 180 mg and
500 mg per day) of sodium to keep our bodies working properly.”
