Not all of us know that the use of certain foods that are familiar to us can be fatal to humans. These include: alcohol, caffeine, salt, and even water. It is important to observe the measure in everything. It would seem that the human body in all its life should have time to adapt to everything, but this is far from the case. One of the most harmful substances that most people eat in huge quantities every day, without suspecting it, is salt.
What is salt?
We are all used to hearing about salt every day, but rarely have any of us wondered what it is, what kind of benefit or harm this substance carries in itself.
Some with full confidence claim that there is a certain lethal dose of salt for humans. It’s worth understanding this question.
Salt (or the kind that people are used to eating) is a natural mineral. Its first extraction was carried out many centuries ago. According to the chemical content, it can be said that sodium chloride is sodium chloride in the form of crystals. It includes 60.6% chlorine and 39.4% sodium. Salt is highly soluble in water. Despite the fact that many are inclined to the version that a fatal dose of salt exists, it, first of all in moderate amounts, is the basis of human life.
Properties and functions of salt
The salt we are used to is the most important food supplement for humans. Usually it is sold in milled form. It happens that in table salt there are some additives that can only change its color and taste, but not the main properties.
Other names for salt: table, stone, food. Or a chemical name like sodium chloride. In modern production, salt with various additives began to be prepared: iodine, fluorine, magnesium, calcium and others. Many housewives will note another of its useful properties - the use of salt in canning. Thanks to this, vegetables and fruits can be stored in banks for a long time and please us with their taste and benefits on cold winter evenings. Despite the fact that there is an opinion about the version that there is a lethal dose of salt for humans, the substances contained in it are vital for the body. For example, sodium in salt constantly maintains the required level of osmotic pressure, acid-base balance, and water-salt metabolism of the human body. Due to the optimal sodium content, the heart muscles, intestines and kidneys, nerve endings work well. Chlorine is also important for the body: it breaks down fats, removes urea, supports the central nervous and reproductive systems, and has a positive effect on bone tissue.
The benefits of salt for the human body
It is important to know that salt does not form in the human body. It in the right amount should come from external sources. Salt is absorbed completely in the small intestine, and is excreted with the help of sweat glands, intestines and kidneys. It will be relevant here to talk about dehydration of the human body , which can easily occur with excessive loss of water (diarrhea or vomiting). In this case, even death is possible . Therefore, with such a diagnosis, it is urgent to compensate for the lost balance of water and the salt contained in it. A lethal dose of salt for humans, of course, exists, but a moderate amount of it, eaten, is the main source of chlorine and sodium in the body. If these substances in the organs and systems of the human body become insufficient, he will experience the following symptoms: general weakness, tachycardia, low blood pressure, involuntary muscle contraction, etc.
Is salt used in medicine?
While mankind is puzzling over the solution of the question of what is the lethal dose of salt, it is perfectly used for the treatment and prevention of numerous diseases.
For example, catarrhal diseases of the nose can be cured by washing it with a solution of sodium chloride. This not only helps to moisturize its mucous membrane, but also kills the numerous viruses and bacteria that have settled in it. Enemas with salt water help a person cope with constipation, as they make the intestines work. In general, salt stimulates the digestive tract, establishing digestion by increasing the production of acid in the gastric juice.
Types of Salt
The modern industry engaged in the production of products has begun to supply salt of unknown brands and types to the markets. Its cost is sometimes significantly overstated. Is it justified, is such salt useful? And how much can you eat it? A lethal dose of salt, whatever it may be, still exists, so it’s especially not worth getting carried away.
By the method of extraction, there are several types of salt:
- evaporated: extracted from the bowels, then water is evaporated from it;
- stone: mined in special quarries using appropriate equipment;
- self-settling: such salt itself precipitates, it remains only to collect;
- cage: evaporates naturally at the bottom of salt lakes.
If we talk about the types of salt based on artificial additives to it or special treatments, then distinguish:
- iodized salt ;
- dietary - has a rather specific taste;
- “Thursday”, “Papuan”, Himalayan, kosher salt and many others.
Do I need to salt food?
It is believed that three tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose for a person that can cause irreversible processes in his body. This is not to say that by consuming such an amount of this product, one can die, but to harm the body, and seriously enough, is easy. And to avoid such disastrous consequences, you need to know the normal dose of salt for it.
It is believed that this is - 1 teaspoon of salt per day (this is approximately 11 grams of sodium chloride). In those countries where the climate is much hotter and less humid, sweating among local residents is increased, the need for a daily dose of salt increases significantly, almost 2 times (25-30 grams per day). Well, now think about how much you actually consume salt per day. Most likely, this figure is significantly higher than normal, and it can even be referred to as a lethal dose of salt, provided that you suffer from any diseases in which this product is contraindicated. In other words, a person in this case simply slowly kills himself. By the way, the calorie content of salt is reduced, it is close to zero.
Children's body and salt. Pregnancy and salt
We have already found out that salt is necessary for the human body. She participates in his metabolic processes and vital functions.
Therefore, both the child and the pregnant woman need a sufficient amount of salt. But, there are some minor clarifications:
- When breastfeeding is established, the baby receives the right amount of salt along with other nutrients and vitamins with the mother’s milk. Therefore, the first lure is not necessarily salted. Of course, with the growth of the child, with the increasing need for minerals, salt should be added to his food, but in moderation.
- Pregnancy is a special condition in which the body is responsible for the growth and development of the baby for nine months. Therefore, the need for salt in women in an interesting position is significantly increasing. Of course, you need to know the measure, that is, when edema occurs, reduce the amount of sodium chloride used. But pregnant women are strictly forbidden to completely exclude salt from their daily diet.
- The lethal dose of table salt for babies and expectant mothers is somewhat different, but it is, so do not give the child a lot of sodium chloride, as an unformed body can not cope with its excretion.
How much salt is harmful to an adult?
This question has been asked by scientists and doctors around the world for many years, trying to find the most accurate answer to it. So, let's discuss how many tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose for one person? Indeed, in a day we consume it in large quantities. Still, it’s customary to talk about grams of salt that can harm the human body, and they make up 3 g / kg of weight. That is, if the average person eat a quarter of a pack of salt (250 g), he will die. Yes it is. Especially if at the same time he did not drink the proper amount of liquid. And he ate it in one sitting. Immediately increase pressure, there will be swelling, there will be swelling of the lungs and brain, in short, you are guaranteed a fatal outcome.
Salt poisoning
Of course, in this case we are talking about a daily violation in the amount of sodium chloride consumed. People say that 3 tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose. But is it? It is difficult to apply this norm to each specific person, because we all have different weight and height, and the distribution of all substances used in the body of an individual person is different.
Therefore, scientists are inclined to believe that the lethal dose of salt for humans is 3 g / kg of weight. These norms were obtained by conducting the necessary experiments on rats. Of course, it is difficult to compare animals and humans. Usually the first of them are much easier to poison with salt, since they do not consume the proper amount of water per day. It only worsens the situation that is destructive for their bodies. How to understand what happens in our body when excess salt enters there? Immediately, the pressure rises sharply due to a change in the composition of the blood. A person feels very bad. There is dehydration, the functioning of the nervous system is disrupted. The result of these irreversible consequences: the death of the human body due to insufficient intake of the necessary amount of oxygen in its tissues and organs.
Salt as a deadly habit
It turns out that the statement “3 tablespoons of salt is a lethal dose” is not entirely true. Therefore, you should calculate this amount specifically for yourself, based on your weight: 3 g per 1 kg of a person’s weight. Get used to eating salt in moderation, and then overweight, swelling, high blood pressure will never bother you.
Remember that in any business it is important to know the measure. This also applies to the use of salt. It is very important for your body, you can say it is vital. But its excessive use in the end can destroy a person.