Salt has always been a tangled topic. Both the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association have spared no effort to emphasize that the average person should strive to control the salt intake between 5-6 grams. And for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease, they should strictly control their salt intake at 3About 8 grams.
However, even such a tiny amount of salt is only the size of a small teaspoon. This tiny amount can easily exceed our expectations, causing us to inadvertently overdose.
But if there is not enough salt in the meals, they often lack enough flavor to stimulate the appetite and make people who prefer strong flavors feel very unsatisfied.
However, the notion of a bland diet has been questioned by a recent study that investigated the relationship between salt intake and health in 181 countries.
But before we dive into that, let's first ask why high-salt foods are tastier.
Why do foods high in salt taste better?
01 Salt's role in regulating appetite
Salt regulates the body's water balance and maintains its steady state. The concentration of salts in the extracellular fluid of the human body is essential for the water balance of the cells, and the presence of salts helps to maintain this balance. When the water balance is good, the human body feels more comfortable and satisfied, which increases appetite.
Secondly,The sodium ions in salt are involved in the formation of gastric acid, which stimulates the gastric mucosa to secrete digestive juices. These digestive juices include stomach acid and enzymes, which play a vital role in the digestion of food. By promoting the secretion of digestive juices, salt is able to speed up the process of digestion of food, which makes a person feel full faster. However, this accelerated digestion process can also cause the body to feel more intense hunger, leading to an increase in appetite.
02Chemical reaction between salt and ingredients
In addition to the direct effect of salt on appetite, high-salt foods also undergo a series of chemical reactions with ingredients during cooking, further enhancing the deliciousness of the food.
Salt has a dehydrating effect, which allows ingredients to lose moisture and become richer and more flavorful. For example, when we pickle cucumbers or turnips, salt is usually added to absorb the moisture in the ingredients and make them more tender and delicious. This curing process not only adds to the taste of the food, but also incorporates the salt flavor into the ingredients through osmosis, making them more delicious.
Salt reacts chemically with certain components in the ingredient, changing the taste and texture of the ingredient. For example, when processing fish or meat, the amino acids in the salt neutralize each other with the acidity in the ingredients, thus highlighting the umami flavor of the food. This chemical reaction not only makes the food more delicious, but it also reduces the undesirable taste in the food and increases the level of affection for the food.
The main reason why high-salt foods are more flavorful is that salt itself has an appetite-boosting effect, and at the same time, the chemical reaction that occurs with the ingredients enhances the taste and texture of the food. Although excessive salt intake can cause adverse health effects, high-salt foods can still provide a pleasant eating experience in moderate amounts.
The saltier you eat, the longer you live
In traditional health beliefs, a high-salt diet is thought to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems, so people are often advised to minimize salt intake. However, a recent study came up with a surprising idea: the saltier you eat, the longer you live. This idea has led to a rethinking of the relationship between salt and health.
01Research Background
The study, published by the European Heart Journal, involved sodium intake data from 181 countries and analysed life expectancy and mortality in these countries. The results showed that an extra 1 gram of sodium per day was equivalent to 2A salt intake of 5 grams can increase life expectancy by 2At the age of 6, the healthy life expectancy at the age of 60 can also be extended by 03 years old, and the number of deaths per 100,000 people can also be reduced by 131. These data seem to suggest that a moderate amount of a high-salt diet may be associated with a longer lifespan.
02 Research results
There are a number of possible explanations behind this view. First of all, a high-salt diet may be related to the regulation of some physiological processes in the body. For example, sodium plays an important role in the normal function of cells, and moderate intake can help maintain electrolyte balance in the body, thereby protecting cardiovascular and nervous system health. In addition, moderate salt intake may also be associated with blood pressure regulation, which can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, which in turn can lead to a longer lifespan.
Secondly, a high-salt diet may be related to people's eating habits and lifestyles. In some regions, high-salt foods are often combined with other healthy ingredients and dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet and the Asian diet. These dietary patterns emphasize the intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, along with moderate intake of high-salt foods, which may have overall health benefits.
03 Traditional concepts
This finding contradicts conventional wisdom about health, which is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. However, this does not mean that people should abandon control over salt intake altogether, but rather that the relationship between salt and health needs to be viewed more carefully. Especially in individuals with high-risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, salt intake still needs to be carefully controlled to reduce the risk of related diseases.
You may be unaware that you have exceeded the salt limit
Despite the growing importance of salt intake, many people may not be aware that their daily salt intake exceeds the recommended limit. This situation is called "**salt", that is, some foods seem to taste not salty, but in fact have a high salt content, which brings a lot of hidden dangers to health.
01 What is salt?
Salt refers to foods that are not salty in taste, or even mild, but actually contain a higher amount of salt. These foods usually don't make people feel the presence of salt right away, and it's easy to overlook their salt content.
02**Typical representative of salt
Snacks and processed foods that many people enjoy are often typical of salt. For example, spicy strips, although they have a spicy taste, actually contain a whopping 2136 mg of sodium per 100 grams, which is equivalent to 107% of the standard daily intake. Tomato sauce is also a common example, with a salt content of 921 mg per 100 grams, which is more than 46% of the daily intake, although it may be sweet and sour or sweet in taste.
In addition,Some common foods may also contain high levels of salt, such as sausages, braised eggs, instant noodles, mustard, potato chips, shredded squid, pork jerky, hot pot balls, meat floss, etc. These foods usually don't look salty, but they actually contain a lot of salt, making it easy for people to consume too much salt.
03**Hazards of salt
*The presence of salt poses some potential health hazards. First of all,Excessive salt intake is strongly associated with health problems such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Long-term intake of excessive salt can increase blood pressure, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Secondly, excessive salt intake may also lead to problems such as edema and increased burden on the kidneys, which can cause more negative health effects.
04 How to avoid salt?
To avoid excessive salt intake, there are a few things people can do. First of all,When buying food, read the product label carefully and pay attention to the salt content of the food. Second, try to choose fresh, unprocessed ingredients instead of relying on processed foods and snacks. In addition, you can try using other condiments instead of salt, such as herbs, spices, and sour ingredients, to reduce the amount of salt you use