Salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine (sodium chloride) and is vital for the body.

 

The body's daily requirement for salt is between 2 and 4 grams, with 5 grams still within the tolerance limit. Most people consume considerably more salt with their food, up to 15g a day.

Daily salt consumption should not only include the salt added as a seasoning in the main meals, but also the hidden salt in ready-to-use foods such as sausage, meat, cheese and bread.

A lack of salt therefore rarely occurs in our society, but rather too much salt is consumed. In order to balance out the hidden salts, cooking should be seasoned with as little salt as possible.

However, if excessive sweating, diarrhoea or vomiting lead to a lack of salt, this will be noticeable through headaches and muscle cramps, as the electrolyte balance is disturbed. In the event of such an acute salt deficiency, the body can be supplied with isotonic drinks (sports drinks) or soup broth to replenish the missing minerals and compensate for the salt deficiency.

Excessive salt consumption leads to water retention in the tissues and bloodstream, which puts too much strain on the heart, circulation and kidneys. Too much salt consumption is one of the main causes of high blood pressure.

A distinction is made between rock salt and sea salt. While rock salt is extracted in mines and consists almost exclusively of sodium chloride, sea salt contains additional mineral compounds and trace elements such as potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, iodine and silicon. Sea salt is extracted from seawater in salt works.

If the doctor has prescribed a low-salt diet for health reasons, diet salt can be used for seasoning. Diet salt contains only about 0.1 % chloride and 0.12 %b sodium, or can also be purchased chloride-free. Organic acids such as citric acid give diet salt its acidic flavour, which is less salty but still suitable for seasoning food.