Health Benefits Of Salt
Common salt, also known as sodium chloride, is an omnipresent ingredient used for seasoning purposes in our everyday foods. It is available in a range of diverse forms and particle sizes, depending on the proposed use. Along with its culinary usage, it is also used as a food preservative.
The salt/water ratio is critical for the metabolic rate of our body. Salt facilitates sending signals in our nerves and muscles and helps sustain the fluid content inside and outside the blood cells. The salt concentration in a solution used by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) to cleanse wounds is the same as is present in human blood i.e. 0.9% Sodium Chloride. Dietary salt exists in various forms: unrefined, refined (also known as table salt) and iodine-fortified salt. It offers a variety of health benefits, which are explained below.
Iodine Deficiency: Iodized salt is one of the most common sources of dietary Iodine. Iodine deficiency refers to the insufficiency of iodine mineral in the body, which is vital for the manufacturing of the thyroid hormone. It is a very important part of our diet, as the body does not naturally produce iodine.
Without adequate amounts of iodine, the thyroid enlarges in an attempt to keep up with the body’s demand for thyroid hormone. This may result in serious conditions like the development of goiter or hypothyroidism. The body also requires thyroid hormones for the appropriate development of brain and bone structure during pregnancy and the early development years of young children. If the expectant or the lactating mothers are iodine deficient, the children can suffer from mental retardation. An adequate intake of iodized salt can prevent such deficiencies and their sometimes fatal results.
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