Boiled salt is an important food supplement, without which it is simply impossible to cook many dishes. When ground, this product looks like small white crystals. The presence of impurities in the composition of salt can give it a grayish tint. When using this product, it is very important to know what benefit and harm can be from it.
What is evaporated salt
This is a common product with a rich history. In addition, many beliefs and customs are associated with it. People have been using evaporated salt for over ten thousand years. The methods for obtaining this product have changed over time. Initially, people burned plants, previously thoroughly moistened in sea water, and then sprinkled food with ash. After some time, salt began to be boiled out of the brine. During excavations, saltworks were found that functioned as early as the VI century BC. e. Evaporated salt was previously obtained by evaporation of water produced from a salt source in specially made furnaces.
This product is a mixture of sodium and chlorine. The presence of other shades may indicate the presence of additional mineral impurities. Now there are several different ways to extract salt, namely:
- natural evaporation of water from salt sources;
- mine development;
- sedimentary salt mined from the depths of lakes;
- industrial treatment of halite.
On sale you can find several types of this product of different degrees of grinding. All this greatly affects its taste and properties.
Mining methods
Extra salt is boiled out from solutions of sodium chloride by evaporating water in vacuum crystallizers. Obtaining such solutions is achieved by artificial underground leaching of salt deposits. This is a way to develop salt deposits, which are located mainly at a depth of more than 600 m.
To provide more favorable conditions for the dissolution of salt deposits, their opening is carried out to the depth of the beds. Wells can be vertical or inclined. Water is supplied through them to dissolve the salt and extract the brine.
After that, the resulting liquid is subjected to purification, which consists in the removal of insoluble sediment. The purified solution enters the evaporation plants, including several evaporators. As water evaporates, salt crystallizes.
Externally, the crystals obtained in various evaporation plants are completely no different. The difference can only be seen under the microscope. Then cooking salt is subjected to drying, grinding, packaging and packaging.
Chemical composition
There are several types of evaporated salt, namely:
- stone;
- iodized;
- fluorinated;
- dietary.
There are also several exotic varieties of this product. Cooked evaporated salt in its chemical composition contains 94-99% sodium chloride. In addition, potassium, magnesium, fluorine, iron, manganese, and copper are included in small amounts. They enrich the product for the prevention of various diseases.
The benefits of salt
In the human body, this product cannot be produced independently. The only way to saturate it is to come with food. Cooked evaporating salt "Extra" is not considered the main food product, but only a flavoring additive. Therefore, there is constant debate about the need for its consumption. If you do not add salt to food, then there may be a lack of sodium in the body. Sodium ions are very important, as they are involved in processes such as:
- maintaining the required water balance;
- production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach;
- conducting nerve impulses;
- regulation of pressure and heartbeat processes;
- normalization and activation of muscle and bone tissue growth.
In case of severe dehydration, doctors inject physiological salt solution with droppers to restore balance. Salt baths help cleanse the skin and tone them. So you can improve the appearance. It is necessary to conduct a course of 15 procedures lasting a quarter of an hour daily.
Salt can be used to treat various diseases. There are many ways, since you can use it as an external agent and inside. When skin diseases apply lotions of salt with vinegar. In case of periodontal disease, salt previously dissolved in natural honey should be rubbed into the gums. This will help remove plaque and tartar. Honey helps eliminate inflammation and reduce bleeding.
When insect bites, salt mixed with honey should be applied to the affected area. This remedy helps eliminate swelling and itching. In moderation, salt can be an assistant. The most important thing is to know how to use it correctly.
Salt damage
Harm is manifested with excessive salt intake. It is best to add salt to the dishes, as you can always add this seasoning to taste. There are a number of diseases that may be a contraindication to salt intake. These include such as:
- renal failure;
- cardiovascular disorders;
- inflammatory processes.
Usually in such cases, a salt-free diet is required, from which foods with a high salt content should be excluded. In the case of uncontrolled consumption, there may even be a person’s death.
A large amount of salt can lead to a change in the composition of the blood, dehydration of its cells. This leads to disruption of the process of oxygen saturation and death of body cells. You can refuse excess salt by replacing it with natural herbs and spices that add spice to the dish.
Where applicable
Salt is one of the most important food additives, without which absolutely all cooked food will be fresh and tasteless. Its taste is quite characteristic, but you can find more unusual and exotic varieties with various impurities.
Coarse salt is considered the most delicious, since most of the minerals and elements are stored in it. But small seasoning has only an attractive appearance. It is completely devoid of all useful micronutrients, and has also been treated with chemicals for grinding and bleaching.
Salt is used not only in cooking, but it is also used in metallurgy for burning ore and refining metals. It is also sprinkled on the bottom of wagons to preserve manganese ore and coke during transportation.
Salt is widely used to prepare various dishes and in moderation can benefit the body. However, when consuming this seasoning in significant quantities, it can harm a person.