How much salt is good for us?

What is table salt, and what do we need it for?

Table salt consists almost exclusively of sodium chloride. Depending on the variety and purity, it naturally contains up to three percent other substances, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Sodium chloride is essential for many metabolic processes in our body. Among other things, it is responsible for transmitting stimuli from nerve and muscle cells and regulating the water balance. It is also involved in digestion and in building bones.

How much salt should you consume?

Some studies in western countries found women consume an average of 8.4 grams of salt a day, men even more than 15. Experts believe that this is too high and recommend one upper limit of 6 grams, which corresponds to about a teaspoon - a frozen pizza often contains more. According to the WHO, the optimal value of 3.8 grams of salt per day is considered by some experts to be hardly feasible.

How dangerous is an excessive dose?

There is a scientific consensus that too much salt can be harmful. There are many reasons, especially those who cannot get enough of chips can understand the first one: Salt stimulates the appetite and is, therefore, a factor in the widespread disease of obesity.

It is clear that high salt consumption changes the composition of the intestinal bacteria and can thus also impair the immune system. The role of salt in the development of autoimmune diseases is still being investigated.

Excess salt has to be removed from the body. The kidneys, which are responsible for this, are additionally burdened with this task.

High blood pressure - what role does salt play?

A high dose of salt increases the pressure in the blood vessels. To put it very simply: sodium binds water and thus increases the volume of the blood. But whether an increased salt consumption increases the risk of high blood pressure has not been definitively proven.

The fact is: high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases arise in particular through the interaction of genetic makeup, age, gender, and various unfavorable diets and lifestyles. How much role the salt plays is still not known.

In contrast, it has been proven in various studies that a lower salt intake improves blood pressure values ​​in people with hypertension.

What salt alternatives are there?

There are not only substitutes for sugar; we also have a substitution for salt known as "diet salt." Here, sodium chloride is replaced or at least greatly reduced by potassium and magnesium chloride. Various studies suggest that switching to dietary salt has a positive effect on people with high blood pressure. But the taste doesn't come close to the original; it tastes less salty but a bit bitter or metallic.

What can we do for conscious salt consumption?

A low-salt diet is particularly advisable for people with salt sensitivity and high blood pressure. But healthy people are also on the safe side with the recommended amounts of salt.

The most important step: Avoid industrially processed products and use fresh ingredients with a high taste of their own. Instead of salt, you refine your meal with herbs and various spices and take the salt shaker off the table because we often add salt out of pure habit.