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Low-sodium salt - a new mineral blend to replace table salt
Salt is won all over the world as for instance here in Bolivia Sodium chloride or cooking salt (NaCl) is an all-purpose food stuff and its usage for seasoning and preservation of food can be traced back to the earliest of the ancient civilizations. In those times preservation played a particularely important role. Salt preserves food by inhibiting the growth of bacteria through osmotic deprivation of water. In addition, salt has essentially important sensory functions. Excessive consumption, however, may lead to high blood pressure.
Physiological function
Depending on age and gender, about 40 to 80 percent of the human body consists of water. Sodium ions are essential for the osmo-regulation of the human body. Aside from HCO3-, Na+ and Cl- are the most common ions within the extracellular liquid and significantly determine its volume and the osmotic balance.
The water and ion balance of the body is maintained by the kidneys' removing water and ions from the blood and returning them selectively. Thus the function of the kidneys has a direct influence on the regulation of blood pressure. The impact of Na+ on the blood pressure is described in detail in literature and is undisputed among experts 1-4, 7-9.
Sensory function
The exact flavor-imparting mechanism of salt is still disputed in literature. It is clear, however, that NaCl has the commonly known purely salty taste while other cations (K+, Mg+) disturb the sensory impression for example by bitter qualities.
Salt for example intensifies umami which is a hearty taste and confines sweet. This makes it an important ingredient in both spicy and sweet foods. A bitter taste is confined by salty which may turn the reduction of salt in foods into a sensible undertaking.