It has long been a tradition in Russia to welcome important guests with bread and salt. This means that these products are the most important for people. The Russians always plowed the land and grew bread. What is salt? Where does it come from and why is it needed?
Salt is a mineral that is easily absorbed by the human body. It is necessary for the life of any organisms. Its chemical composition is a compound of sodium and chlorine (NaCl). This is a very important substance. It maintains the water-salt balance in the body, regulates acidity in the stomach, affects the functioning of muscles and the nervous system.
What is salt, ancient people knew and appreciated it. She paid in ancient Rome for slaves, issued a salary. In Central Africa, it was considered on a par with gold. Rising prices for this food caused riots and revolutions.
Nowadays, the value of salt has decreased significantly. It can be easily bought at any grocery store. But this does not mean that you need to treat her carelessly. Excess salt, as well as deficiency, is harmful to the human body. No wonder she was given the name "white death." Excessive amounts of salt in the body lead to high blood pressure. The load on the kidneys increases, this causes swelling of the limbs. The metabolism of potassium and calcium is slowed down, which affects the reproductive organs. A person should know what salt is in the optimal amount.
The minimum daily amount of NaCl for the body is 2 grams. The maximum value is 6 grams for the northern regions of Russia and 25 grams for the southern. When calculating the amount of salt when cooking, you need to consider that it is found in some foods. For example, in one liter of milk is 4 grams of NaCl. Especially a lot of salt is consumed with fast food. It increases the appetite, and manufacturers and sellers of all kinds of chips, fast foods, crackers use this.
Salt can be used not only as a seasoning for food, but also as a therapeutic substance. In combination with water, it relieves inflammation, it can be treated for mild poisoning. There are many homemade recipes. Salt and water treatment was also used by our grandmothers. Here are some recipes for traditional medicine.
- Gargling with sore throat. Half a teaspoon of table or sea salt is dissolved in half a glass of warm water. These composition gargle in the morning and immediately after a meal. It cleanses the tonsils and vocal cords, relieves inflammation.
- The treatment of the common cold. Half a teaspoon of salt is dissolved in a glass of warm water. Irrigate and rinse the nasal cavity at least twice a day.
- A bite of an insect. A teaspoon of salt is mixed with water until porridge. This composition is applied to the bite. Gruel prevents inflammation, relieves pain and swelling.
- Treatment with water and salt for mild poisoning. The patient is given a glass of warm salted water to remove poisons and toxins and replenish the fluid level in the body. To alleviate the symptoms of poisoning in a home medicine cabinet, it is necessary to keep saline preparations. It can be Rehydron or Glucosolan. They are perfectly used for diarrhea and poisoning.
The answer to the question: "What is salt?" - would be incomplete, if not to mention the types of salt. Many argue that it is better: rock salt or sea. Many culinary specialists and doctors prefer the latter variety. It is believed that in addition to sodium chloride, sea salt contains almost the entire complex of trace elements. But this is not always the case. In America, for example, sea salt is purified and filtered to a pure substance. Therefore, before buying, you must read the composition and method of production of this valuable product.