If you remember your chemistry class in high school, good old NaCl (sodium chloride) or salt is a chemical. Like all chemicals, it can be good and it can be bad.
Table salt is the same whether it is iodized or not. It is the same chemical if it is pink Himalayan or black Hawaiian salt. It simply has other chemicals in it to make it colored, or it has different size crystals, but it is all salt and should be used with judiciously because of its potential negative consequences.
You should keep your salt intake to about 1,500 mg which is equal to about 2/3 of a teaspoon of table salt. The American Heart Association says you can eat up to 2,300 mg if you are healthy, but why take the chance. Salt is so dangerous because it causes you to retain fluids which leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. A good rule of thumb is not to salt any food before tasting it. Putting salt on food is often just a habit.
The real culprit to a high salt diet is prepared and processed foods. They are full of salt. Read the labels. You may be surprised to see that one serving of processed food has 50 to 75 percent of the sodium you can have all day. Some of the worst foods are canned soups, canned vegetables, salad dressings, sandwich meats, cheeses, pickles and frozen meals. Do not be tricked by labeling that notes low sodium or diet. Check the label and use the rule of thumb of 5% or 120 mg of salt per serving. This indicates food that is low in salt. If the numbers are at 20% of the daily requirement, it is a high salt food. Put it back on the shelf or back into the cold food storage where you got it.
Research from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2016 reported that for every additional 1,000 mg of salt a day, the death risk rose by 12%. People who consumed 2,300 mg of salt, one teaspoon, or less over 24 years lead to a 25% decline in death when compared to those who ate between 2,300 to 3,600 mg salt.
Salt is necessary to make food taste palatable. However, salt taken in larger doses than is necessary can lead to death and disability. It is not necessary to go salt-free, but making sound decisions about salt intake can make a difference in your health and well being. Contact me to learn more about your salt intake and how you can lower the levels of how much salt you eat every day.