What's up dudes and what's up ladies. Bryan here, and in this video we are going to
discuss salt. Our common salt is composed primarily of sodium chloride, 40% sodium,
and 60% chloride. Salt is processed from salt mines or the evaporation of seawater,
or other mineral rich waters. It is mainly used to add flavor to food or as a food preservative.
It preserves food by absorbing water, making the environment too dry to support mold or bacteria.
Salt has no calories and contains no nutrients other than the sodium and the chloride, however,
some table salt has iodine added to it. This is done in a preventive measure against iodine
deficiency. Anti-caking agents are also added so it doesn't clump together, but table salt
is 97 percent sodium chloride or higher. So, is salt good for us? Let's start with sodium first,
our body needs sodium, it's required for maintaining blood pressure, a normal fluid
balance, and transmitting nerve impulses, but too much of it can cause problems. Sodium acts like
a magnet for water, pulling fluid into the blood stream, this excess fluid increases the pressure
on blood vessels hence high blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends sodium
consumption not exceed 1500 milligrams per day, the average American consumes 3,400 milligrams
per day. Now for chloride, chloride ions are the building blocks for hydrochloric acid,
hydrochloric acid made in the stomach has two main purposes, to help destroy germs that arrive with
food, and to help break down protein found in food. Also chloride combining with sodium forms
one of the most important electrolytes in the body. Bottom line, salt or sodium chloride has
major uses in the body, they're both essential for life, however it's all about moderation.