This natural mineral (sodium chloride) that we have been consuming for centuries has two main origins: the sea, which contains enormous quantities of it, which are extracted by water evaporation, and the underground deposits left by the primary oceans to which access is by mines. Guardian of taste, salt is also a great food preservative. It is a cheap and effective product in the house as in your medicine cabinet or your beauty bag.
The health benefits of salt
A health ally? : yes, because without salt to fix the water in the tissues, it is impossible to maintain the body’s hydration. In addition, its minerals, chloride and sodium, participate in the transmission of nerve signals, muscle contraction. In moderate amounts, sodium helps balance blood pressure. Finally, salt is also useful for better preservation of food by limiting the multiplication of micro-organisms.
A flavor enhancer to be consumed in moderation : because between the salt contained in cooked dishes, bread, cheeses, cold cuts, sauces, etc., and the salt that we sprinkle on our plate, we consume it in excess with an average of 8.4 g/day whereas a dose lower than or equal to 6 g/day would be ideal to fight against arterial hypertension, cardiovascular diseases as well as stomach cancer (risk 7 times higher for heavy consumers of salt).
beauty side: it can be used for exfoliation, hair care or even relaxing foot baths.
Home side: it is used for laundry care and is frequently used in the kitchen to cook or make a brine.
Contraindications of salt
Its intake should be limited in cases of high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease and in the elderly who have a higher sensitivity to salt (increased risk of hypertension). It is also better to consume it in moderation in case of water retention.
Choose the right salt
Prefer a 100% natural salt, unrefined and guaranteed without additives such as Guérande salt. And on your grilled meats and fish, taste the fleur de sel. This sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy must, very popular with starred chefs, is in a way the cream on the milk since it is the crystallized crust that forms on the surface of salt water drying when the wind blow on the right side.
Did you know ?
Be careful when reading food labels looking for the salt content: it is obtained by multiplying the sodium content by 2.5.
Read also :
The health benefits of minerals and trace elements
Infographic: why and how to reduce your salt intake?
Do yourself a salt scrub to get out of winter
