Salt & Sodium
Excerpt From: Live Longer & Healthier Eating Foods You Love

Salt is a molecule made from the atoms sodium and chlorine.  The combining sodium and chlorine produces sodium chloride with the chemical symbol NaCl which is commonly referred to as table salt.  It is the sodium in salt and other products like MSG (monosodium glutamate) that is linked to high blood pressure and water retention.

Sodium is an essential nutrient.  Your body uses sodium to regulate blood pressure, blood volume and muscle and nerve functions.  You can not live without sodium in your diet.

Sodium occurs naturally in most foods.  Milk, beets, and celery contain sodium, as does drinking water, although the amount varies depending on the source and in the case of drinking water is in trace amounts. Added sodium is usually in the form of sodium chloride; table salt, Kosher salt and sea salt.

There is no shortage of sodium in the average American diet because salt has been used as an inexpensive preservative and flavor enhancer for thousands of years.  If you are on a low sodium diet or are just interested in reducing your intake of sodium you must carefully read the  list of ingredients on processed foods to look for the words soda or sodium in addition to the word salt.  Most foods have a nutrition label listing the amount of sodium and percent of daily requirement per serving. Examples of sodium added to various food products are:


These are ingredients in condiments and seasonings such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion salt, garlic salt, bouillon cubes and other food products. Monosodium glutamate is a flavor enhancer used by many Oriental restaurants. Most will omit MSG if asked.

Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, and ham, and canned soups and vegetables are examples of foods that contain added sodium. Fast foods and many processed foods are generally very high in sodium.  One serving of a canned soup, sauce or marinade can have up to half of the recommended daily allowances of sodium.  Salt is what makes many of these products taste so good.

 

Dietary Guidelines for Sodium

Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to 5 grams of added salt a day (that is, salt added by manufacturers and consumers above and beyond that already provided naturally by the food itself).  Dietary sodium is measured in milligrams (mg). Five grams of table salt (about 1 teaspoon) which is 40 percent sodium has about 2 grams (2000 mg) of sodium (5g x 0.4 = 2g).
 
For individuals who are sodium-sensitive, an increased intake of sodium may contribute to high blood pressure. Therefore, people with high blood pressure may be advised to reduce sodium intake; all patients with high blood pressure should discuss this issue with their doctor. Reducing sodium can also reduce the side effects from certain prescription medications.

The National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences recommends an approximate daily range of 1,100 to 3,300 mg of sodium for adults. For people with high blood pressure, hypertension experts are recommending no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day. The average sodium intake in the United States is between 4,000 and 5,000 mg per day. Some people in the United States average about 12 grams (12,000 mg) of sodium per day; 6 times the recommended limit!

People eating three meals per day and no salty snacks should average about 750 mg of sodium per meal (2,250 mg per day). That can be difficult if you eat a lot of processed foods. But, it doesn't mean you have to give up processed and fast foods entirely. Eating 3,500 mg of sodium one day 1,000 the next day averages out to 2,250 mg over two days. Average weekly and monthly sodium intake is more important than eating an occasional high sodium meal.

 

Types of Salt

Until the recent explosion of celebrity chefs and food programming elevating some types of salt to gourmet status, salt referred to ordinary table salt purchased at your local supermarket in round cardboard containers costing about 50 cents for 26 ounces.  It is available with or without iodine.  Iodine is added to salt because it is an essential nutrient needed by your body.  It is  part of the thyroid hormones that regulate body temperature, metabolic rate, reproduction, growth, making blood cells, nerve and muscle function  and much more.

The amount of iodine needed in your diet and by your body is small.  Iodine is found in the oceans, so seafood is a good source, and in the soil.  In the United States, the soil in many areas where crops are grown is iodine poor.  By adding iodine to salt, you are assured an adequate supply in your diet.  People on low salt or no salt diets must obtain enough iodine from other sources.

For cooking there are three major types of salt readily available to consumers:

  • Table salt (with and without iodine)

  • Kosher Salt (contains no iodine)

  • Sea salt (with and without iodine


 

Table Salt

Table salt is the common salt normally found on most tables at home and in restaurants. It is a fine-ground, refined rock salt with additives like calcium silicate to keep it free-flowing. Smaller particles mean more particles per measure than coarser grinds like Kosher and Sea salts.  To substitute table salt for Kosher salt or course sea salt, use about half the amount called for in the recipe.   What may surprise you if you have never read the label on a container of iodized table salt is that it  contains a small amount of sugar (usually indicated as dextrose in the ingredients listing).  Without adding dextrose the iodized salt would turn yellow due to oxidation of the iodine.  
 

Kosher Salt

Kosher salt is a coarser grind of salt with large, irregular crystals. It contains no additives. Kosher dietary laws strictly require as much blood as possible be removed from meat before cooking. This coarse grind of Kosher salt does that job. Kosher salt is a favorite with not only Jewish cooks, but also professional and gourmet cooks who prefer its flavor and texture. When substituting Kosher salt for table salt, you may need to add more than a recipe calls for since it seems less salty. The size and shape of the crystals cannot permeate the food as easily as fine grades. Coarse pickling salt or sea salt can be substituted for Kosher salt.   Using equivalent measures of Kosher salt as a substitute for table salt is an excellent way to reduce the amount of salt and therefore the amount of sodium in a recipe and your diet. Finely ground Kosher salt has the same amount of sodium as table and fine ground sea salt.

The salt is also preferred by some chefs because it disperses more readily.  By nature of it's "flake" texture it melts easily and is lighter (less dense) than table salt.

 

Sea Salt

Sea salt is made by evaporating sea water and can be purchased as fine, medium or coarsely ground. This process is more expensive than mining rock salt which is reflected in the price.  There is no standard for crystal size so one manufactures medium ground is another's course ground.  Most medium ground sea salt is equivalent to Kosher salt.  Some people consider sea salt to be nutritionally better than rock salt because it naturally contains trace minerals, but the difference is too insignificant to note. Sea salt does, however, have a stronger and more interesting flavor compared to table salt and Kosher salt.  Iodized sea salt is available and costs about 3 times more than table salt.

 

Low Sodium Salts

Since it is the sodium in salt that cause health problems, manufacturers are marketing low sodium salts.  Some contain potassium chloride (KCl).  Adding potassium chloride reduces the amount of sodium per teaspoon.  There are low sodium sea salts which are unrefined salt containing more minerals than rock salt.  But, claims of sea salt with 50 percent less sodium are exaggerated because salt is salt. If it is not sodium chloride it is not salt. You can reduce the sodium content by adding other elements or salts like potassium chloride but the cost increases from 2 cents per ounce up to 60 cents per ounce.  An easier and more cost effective way to reduce the amount of sodium in your diet by 50 percent is by using 50 percent less salt. In a short period of time you can enjoy eating home cooked foods with no added salt.

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