Salt is found in many foods and it's shaken over many more at mealtimes. Salt contains sodium, which is essential for survival, but you only need a tiny amount to support life. In reality, most people consume far too much salt, and knowing how much you're really getting from your salt shaker might motivate you to cut back.
Sodium in Salt
One ounce of salt, which is equal to 1/8 of a cup or about 2 tablespoons, contains 14,147 milligrams of sodium. That's equal to more than 6 days worth of the maximum 2,300 milligrams of sodium you should limit yourself to each day.
Dangers of Sodium
You need to eat some salt to keep your cells healthy and to maintain a normal fluid balance in your body. The sodium in salt also keeps your nerves and brain working normally and helps you absorb chloride. When you eat too much salt, your blood volume increases. An increased blood volume requires your arteries and heart to work harder to pump blood, which is known as high blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, but it will also elevate your chances of having a stroke or developing kidney disease. Regularly eating too much salt might raise your risk of gastric cancer and osteoporosis, too, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.
Salt doesn't supply much in the way of vitamins and minerals, though it does have trace amounts of iron. The most notable nutrient that is added to salt is iodine. The primary role of iodine is to regulate your thyroid function, but it also plays a role in how your brain works. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, iodine deficiency is common throughout the world, and is the leading cause of preventable brain damage. The daily recommendation of iodine is 150 micrograms and iodized salt contains about 462 micrograms per teaspoon.
It's better for your health to limit your intake of salt and sodium. Putting down the salt shaker is only one way to do that. In fact, more of your sodium intake probably comes from packaged, processed and restaurant foods. Making your own meals at home and using as many fresh ingredients as possible are effective ways to cut your salt intake. While the 2,300-milligram recommendation applies to healthy adults, keeping your intake to 1,500 milligrams or less might offer additional protective benefits to your heart, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. If you've already been diagnosed with heart disease or have already reached your fiftieth birthday, you shouldn't have more than 1,500 milligrams a day.
- Salt Shaker on Table- Portrait image by kellykramer from Fotolia.com