*Its ability to remove moisture from foods, thus increase their osmotic pressure and making them less likely to spoil,
*Its ability to increase the palatability of savory foods.
The substance we call salt is the chemical compound sodium chloride. Salt also contains small amounts of other trace elements including calcium, magnesium and iodine.
Human evolved in a low sat diet of no more than 20 to 40 mmol sodium per day, and became adapted to the physiologic conservation of the limited salt naturally present in foods and not for excretion of a sodium load some 10 to 20 higher than the physiologic need.
Adults usually consume about 10g of salt a day, but there are enormous variations. A high intake of salt may contribute to the development of hypertension or high blood pressure in some individuals.
Salt in the diet comes mainly from processed foods such as crisps, nuts, cheese, pickled vegetables, sauces and smoked foods.
It is also added to food during preparation, cooking and at the table. Small quantity occurs naturally in some foods. Nobody is quite sure exactly how much salt we need to eat, but it is relatively small amount.
Most of the salt in the diet of contemporary industrialized populations is found in processed foods, added by manufacturers during production for a range of reasons, including taste enhancement, texture and preservation.
Salt in human diet
