A Pinch of Controversy Shakes Up Dietary Salt

by Alexandra Greeley

For such a simple substance, common table salt has had a very complex past. Once scarce, salt was as precious as gold, valued as a chemical agent used to clean, dye, soften leather, and bleach. But more importantly, early humans recognized salt--sodium chloride, or NaCl--as a necessary part of their diets and an element worth fighting for.

Now modern technology has made salt readily available and at a price almost anyone can afford. As a result, many of us take salt and its merits for granted. But scientists keep salt in the news by debating its role in a healthful diet. At times, discussion and controversy threaten to obscure salt's importance and to confuse thoughtful consumers.

To begin with, the terms "salt" and "sodium" are often used interchangeably. Since sodium has been linked to health problems and sodium is most commonly eaten as salt, measuring salt intake has been an easy way to determine how much sodium people actually consume, explains Food and Drug Administration's Ellen Anderson, Ph.D., physical chemist in the Office of Food Labeling. But recent data suggest that sodium in other forms--such as in sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)--causes no health problem, so that salt itself--as sodium and chloride--could after all be what is so undesirable in large amounts.

At odds, too, are the scientists who do not agree on salt's impact on blood pressure: Does it contribute to high blood pressure? Should salt intake be restricted?

To read more, go to: A Pinch of Controversy Shakes Up Dietary Salt