We can’t be sure when salt became a part of the human diet but evidence suggests that the use of salt began from ancient times. The most widespread early use was for the purpose of preserving food; particularly meats and fish. This practice is also in vogue today in many rural communities throughout the world. No doubt, salting meats and fish to preserve them over the many years is probably one of the reasons why we have become so addicted to the taste and flavor of salt in our diets.

Let me point out however that even though salt has come in for severe criticisms in recent years, in order to carry out its functions, the body needs salt. Salt helps to maintain the fluid level in our body and plays a critical role in digestion and the absorption of nutrients from our food. Salt has also been shown to be important in transmitting information through the nervous system. The body gets all of the salt it needs from the food we eat but consuming too much salt may trigger a number of troublesome health problems.

Among the common health problems caused by thy consumption of too much salt are coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and gastrointestinal ailments. Many people consume salt by consciously adding it to their foods but most often, unless we specifically examine the ingredients, salt is consumed unsuspectingly as part of the foods we eat every day. It is estimated that the average person eats approximately 3500 mg of salt a day. This is far above the 1500 mg which is generally recommended. The vast majority of the salts we consume come from processed foods and meals eaten at restaurants, particularly fast food restaurants.

Given the problems associated with consuming so much salt it is advisable that we take action to bring our salt intake under control. Immediately we can make ourselves more aware of our salt intake by checking the amount of salt in our foods and snacks. Additionally, we can dump the salt laden processed foods in favor of freshly prepared meals; and, of cause, it goes without saying, the salt shakers should be immediately yanked from the table. Finally, when preparing your meals, replace salt as a seasoning with other herbs and spices; after a day or two you wouldn’t even notice that salt is missing.

The body is a remarkable self-sustaining biochemical machine, but in our quest to satisfy many of our cravings we may put undue stress on this self-sustaining system. This is exactly what happens when we consume too much salt. Consequently, we subject ourselves to a number of health problems including high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. These problems can be avoided by simply monitoring the amount of salt we ingest on a daily basis.