The Health Benefits of Salt

You may have heard people tell you that salt is bad for you and that you should not consume it, but that is actually not true. Salt plays a key part in maintaining healthy levels of fluid in your blood, therefore maintaining a healthy blood pressure. It also helps nerves and muscles work properly. Not having any salt in your body will actually kill you, though this is not a risk in our times since our diets provide enough salt for our bodies to function well. There are even studies that show that salt consumption can reduce stress, as rats chose to drink salted water over unsalted water when they were under pressure. Another study showed that women who consumed higher levels of sodium were less depressed than women who consumed lower levels. It can also maintain sexual performance, as men who consumed low-sodium diets were found to experience issues more often than men with normal sodium levels. All that being said, salt should still be consumed in relatively small amounts. Adults need about 5 grams of salt a day, which is not much. Consuming higher amounts of salt for prolonged amounts of time can cause health issues and is not recommended. In regards to the type of salt you choose to eat, there is not health differences. For example, Himalayan or pink salt does not have significantly higher amounts of nutrients and do not affect the body any differently than regular table salt. This means that choosing which one to buy just comes down to your personal preference. So next time you go to season your meal with some salt, remember that you are doing good for your body and enjoy that meal!