Essay/Term paper: Salt and its uses

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Science Research Papers

Salt and Its Uses


As we know, salt is the most useful resource found on earth. In Ancient
Rome, salt was used as part of the salary to the soldiers. From this, we can
see that salt was as valuable as gold in the past.
In our daily life, besides making nutritious food more palatable, salt
is very useful in making bakery products, canned and frozen foods. Salt is a
good preservative that retards the growth of micro-organisms to make food
storage possible for a long period of timie before refrigeration.
Recently, an opinion that is harmful to our health was raised by Dr.
Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr,. former comissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug
Admistration in 1981. The American Heart Dissociation, the American Medical
Association also joined the low-salt appeal. They believe that sodium salt is
connected with heart disease, circulator disorder, stroke and even early death.
By many doctors and researchers are now beginning to feel that salt has
gone too far. At the University of Alabama, a short-term research has been
done on 150 people on the effect of the intake of salt related to high blood
pressure. Result shows that those with normal blood pressure experience no
change at all when placed in a extremely low salt diet, or later when salt was
introduced, Of the hypertensive subjects, half of those on the low salt diet did
experience a drop in blood pressure, which returned to its previous leel when
salt was introduced.
Of course, these are other researcherswhgich tend to support the
findings. A small Indiana study showed that when normal individuals took large
amount of salt, the bolld pressure did not consistenly rise into the
hypertensive range. Also, study in Israel showed that a low-calorie diet could
reduce blood pressure without changing salt consumption. After viewing research
statistics, we should know that salt is not exactly harmful to us. In fact, our
bodies have a continual need for salt because our bodies need sodium and
chloride ions each with a different task.
Chloride maintains the balance of water in cells and its environment.
It also plays a part of digestion. Sodium assists in regulating the volumn of
blood and blood pressure. Also, it facilitates the transmission of nerve
impulses and is necessary for heart and muscle contraction. Without this, our
bodies could not function properly. On our diets, how much salt is too much??
Medical experts agrees with the daily intake of salt for normal person should be
around 4 to 10 grams a day. But those with kidney problem may have to limit
dietary salt, if their doctor advises.
The cause of hypertension consists of a number of factors. Such as
deficiencies in calcium, potassium and obesity. In conclusion, salt restriction
may harm more people than it helps. Unless your doctor has proven that you have
a salt related health problem, there is no reason to give salt up!!