Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? - New Testament
Although salt is one of the most useful and most amazing minerals on earth, some people think it is bad for them. There are many people who are reducing their salt intake rapidly. One such person fell ill and sought medical help. Certain tests were done and the doctor gave her a glass of water instead of medicine.
“Doctor, I am not thirsty. Why are you giving me a glass of water?”
“This is not water. This is salt diluted in water. If you take a little more salt, you’ll be alright.” The doctor said and the patient drank the glass of salt water.
For thousands of years man has consumed salt with no apparent problem. Salt has become a part of our life that sometimes we wonder whether we can cook anything without adding a pinch of salt. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ exhorted the faithful by saying, “Ye are the salt of the earth.” If you go back to the history of ancient Rome, you will learn amazing facts about salt.
For instance, the Roman Government doled out salt to Julius Caesar’s soldiers. Even the English word ‘salary’ is derived from ‘salarium’ which means salt. Ancient Romans traded an ounce of salt for an ounce for gold. Even in ancient Greece it was common to exchange salt for slaves.
Bakery products
Even in a remote village kitchen there is a coconut shell full of salt. Almost in every household cooking is done using a little bit of salt. If you remove salt shops, we will not be able to eat even bakery products. Salt is also used in canned and frozen foods, sauces, soups, spices, cereals, dairy and meat products.
Sometimes people use salt as an effective preservative. Long before refrigerators were produced it was the salt that helped people to preserve food. The Roman sage Pliny said, “Heaven knows a civilized life is impossible without salt.”
In recent times there seems to be a war against salt. Dr Arthur Hall Hayes, Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, was a pioneer who denounced the use of salt. In 1981, he promoted the idea that it was beneficial to cut our salt intake. Even the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association and the US Surgeon General jumped the low-salt band wagon. Thereafter, many medical specialists began to think that there is a direct relationship between salt and heart disease, circulatory disorders, stroke and premature death.
Some medical experts, however, are of the view that the salt scare has gone too far. Dr. Harrier P. Dustan of the University of Alabama’s Cardiovascular Research and Research and Training Centre said the hue and cry about eating salt is quite unnecessary.
In a research study involving150 volunteers he came to the conclusion that salt had no major impact on blood pressure. He was supported by a team of Indian experts who had done similar research. Dr John H. Laragh, Head of the Hypertension Center, New York Hospital’s Cornell Medical Center went one step further by saying, “A recommendation that the whole population should avoid salt makes no sense.”
Sodium chloride
Dr. Laragh’s view may be pleasing to the ear of those of us who love salt. In fact some people sprinkle a little bit of table salt before eating many cooked vegetables or even fruits. Even when you eat a slice of pineapple you add a little bit of salt to improve the taste.
It has been scientifically proved that the human body needs salt or sodium chloride. The percentage of sodium is 39 and the percentage of chloride is 61. Chloride maintains the balance of water between the cell and its environment. Sodium maintains the blood’s acid base balance which is critical for life. In fact sodium helps in regulating the volume of blood and blood pressure.
It has been found that your body will not function properly without salt. If you visit any intensive care unit (ICU) you will see how saline solution is given intravenously to patients. Even during surgery the salt solution prevents patients from going into shock. Recently I accompanied a patient suffering from muscle cramps and nausea. The doctor said her problems were created by lack of salt. Thousands of Napoleon’s soldiers had to retreat from Russia or die on the way due to lack of salt in their bodies.
Apart from its health benefits, salt enables us to make glass, soap, plastics, paper, paint, synthetic rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and batteries. If there is no salt there will be no chemical industry.
Moderate portions
Although salt is beneficial to man it has to be taken in moderate proportions. According to medical experts, four to ten grams of salt a day is sufficient for the body. About one to two grams of salt comes from natural sodium found in food. The rest is obtained from processed food or added table salt.
Doctors warn that salt restriction may harm more people than it helps. Recent research indicates that a deficiency in calcium may be a factor in high blood pressure. If you cut down salt intake, the pressure might go up.
Dr. Laragh has spoken the last word about salt. He said, “It is not your enemy. It is the No.1 natural component of all human tissues and the idea that you do not need it is wrong. Unless your doctor has proven that you have a salt related health problem, there is no reason to give it up.”
By the way, salt has enriched the English language. If you are in an unpleasant situation and you accuse someone of rubbing salt into the wound, you are accusing them of making things even worse for you. If you say that you should take something with a pinch of salt, you say that a piece of information you have received may not be accurate or true. Recently a teacher was charged with child abuse. When you read such a news item, you would say, “No teacher worth his salt would stoop to such malpractices.” [email protected]