Salt is a mineral compound primarily of sodium chloride. It is essential for life in general, and saltiness is one of the basic human tastes.
Eating too little salt is generally not a concern for most, with the advent of packaged and convenience foods.
Enjoying a diet rich in whole, unprocessed, naturally low-sodium foods is the most nutritious option, allowing you to add salt to taste when cooking, reducing the risk of overdoing your daily recommended amount. Current Health Canada guidelines advocate most healthy adults eat approximately 1500 mg of sodium per day, though most are consuming more than double that. Therefore, the recommended amount of salt to be taking is 1500mg per day.
Sodium and chlorine are the two elements that makeup salt, making all types of salt sources of these essential compounds, adding another layer of confusion to the mix, as most are indistinguishable to the palate from one to the next. Whether purchased at a grocery store or specialty food shop, salt’s diverse price range, wide-spanning varieties, and nutritional profile can leave you scratching your head.
