Can dogs eat salt? Where is the truth? Probably every good owner asked this question, because we are so afraid of harming the health of the pet. There are several views on this matter. Some are convinced that table salt in a dog's diet is an unnecessary and harmful element, since it is the cause of various diseases in an animal.

There are also supporters of the opposite theory. They argue that, like humans, dogs need salt, and a lack of salt leads to the malformed development of the animal.

Who is this insidious salt?

First, let's figure out what salt is and where it comes from. Table salt is a combination of sodium and chlorine ions. Sodium particles are needed to optimize the rhythm of the heart, as well as for the work of muscles and nerve cells. Chlorine also plays an important role in the creation of hydrochloric acid, which is part of the gastric juice, thanks to which the digestive system can function normally.

Unfortunately, salt is not formed inside the body, and in order to supply all organs and tissues with it, it must come from the outside, that is, with food. The absorption of salt occurs completely in the small intestine, and excretion from the body occurs with the help of the kidneys, sweat glands and intestines.

It will be necessary to know about blankets for dogs.

Also, the benefit of salt is that it retains water in the body, that is, it helps to avoid dehydration, which is very dangerous. In addition, it stimulates neural conduction, and hence the work of the brain. Some may ask the question: "Does a dog need salt, and if the body needs it so much, the more it is given to the pet, the better?" Undoubtedly, salt is necessary for both man and animal. And do not forget the main thing - everything needs to know when to stop. This applies to any food item in the dog's diet.

There is a myth that since dogs are carnivores, then it is necessary to feed them with meat. But this is not the case. The fact is that the stomach of a domestic dog has long been accustomed to our food, and it cannot be compared with a wolf's. Therefore, you cannot feed your pet with clean meat, since its body simply will not master it. However, meat cannot be completely ruled out, because it contains many irreplaceable useful elements.

As for table salt, its excessive use can not only negatively affect the pet's body, but also lead to death. Scientists have experimentally established that a lethal dose of salt is 3 grams per kilogram of body weight. However, it is in domestic animals that salt poisoning most often occurs, and the lack of water exacerbates this situation.

Then the question arises: is it necessary to add salt to the food of the dog? It is worth noting that if you feed your dog with high-quality food, then there is no need to add salt to the food. The entire daily rate is already included in the feed. You can add salt if the products are bought not in stores, but from trusted sellers from hand.

Salt oversaturation

Any organism works normally only under the condition of general equilibrium, and if even one element functions incorrectly, the whole system suffers. An excess of salt makes itself felt almost immediately. The first sign is dehydration. When there is a large amount of salt in the body, the water balance of the cells is disturbed. The pet will be constantly thirsty, regardless of whether it is hot or cold.

As you know, salt retains water in the body, which subsequently accumulates in the tissues, due to which the animal develops swelling of the limbs and bloating. At first glance, the accumulation of fluid is harmless, but this is not at all the case.

Due to an increase in the volume and density of blood, which must be constantly driven through the body, the cardiovascular system suffers. Unfortunately, the heart does not have the ability to work at its limit for a long time, which leads to the destruction of organ cells.

The excretory system also enters the affected area. The accumulation of water in the body contributes to a sharp increase in blood pressure, which, in turn, is the cause of deformation of the walls of blood vessels. This can lead to a number of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension.

The nervous system is not bypassed either. An excess of salt leads to stress in the hypothalamus, reducing its efficiency, due to which there is a violation of the regulation of all body processes. If the dog suffers from an excess of salt for long enough, it can lead to complications:

1. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone tissue. It occurs due to the large loss of calcium by the body.
2. Kidney stones - over time, salt is deposited in the body and disrupts the functioning of the kidneys, which is why calcium accumulates in them, which forms stones.

If you find yourself in such a situation and do not know what to do, then the first step is to go to the veterinary clinic to cleanse the body of excess salt, as well as check the heart and kidneys, since failure or stones may be detected.

Much more dangerous is the situation when the dog has received salt poisoning. This leads to rapid dehydration of the body. Due to a sharp shortage of water, the body does not have time to adapt to the desired regime, which leads to dysfunction of all organs, the blood becomes so thick that the heart cannot distill it.

In such a situation, the animal needs the help of specialists as soon as possible, otherwise, this can lead to the quick death of the pet.

How to understand that there is little salt?

The lack of salt is also not indifferent to the animal's body. Salt deficiency leads to stress and lethargy in the dog, and causes a constant feeling of thirst. The functioning of the digestive system is also disrupted. Gastric juice consists of hydrochloric acid, which is formed on the basis of chlorine particles, and the acid-base balance is provided by sodium ions.

Do dogs need salt?

As mentioned earlier, there is no consensus on this score, even among scientists. Some experts believe that salt deficiency leads to skeletal abnormalities, especially in puppies during active growth. Therefore, the dog's food must be salted on its own.

Salt enters the body directly from natural products, and there is no need to artificially introduce it into the pet's food.

However, whether or not the dog's food needs to be salted is up to you. As the experience of many dog ​​breeders shows, there is no one-size-fits-all nutritional plan that is right for everyone.

How not to harm your pet?

Let's summarize all of the above:

1. salt is an indispensable element for any living organism. It participates in the creation of blood, promotes the formation of gastric juice, and also affects appetite. Undoubtedly, in large quantities, salt is dangerous for dogs, since an excess of it can lead to the death of a pet. However, there is no need to be afraid of it, you just need to be extremely careful. One pinch of salt is enough for a dog's body.
2. be sure to read the composition of what you feed your pet, choose only high-quality products, do not see ads. Also pay attention to its composition. A decent manufacturer, confident in his products, has a well-formed composition and is available to buyers.
   If you often give your dog clean meat or fish, then you do not need to salt them, since they already contain the right amount of salt.
3. you also need to carefully monitor how much and how often the pet receives from your table. All cheeses and sausages contain a lot of salt. Of course, nothing will happen from one slice, just the daily norm for the dog's body will be obtained, and there is no need to salt the main food.
   and do not forget about clean water in the required amount. It will help you monitor your dog's salt balance. If the amount of salt rises sharply, then the pet will drink more. Therefore, always keep an eye on the fullness of the drinking bowl.

It is not surprising that every good owner strives to do only better for his pet. That is why he ponders whether or not to add salt to food. However, before deciding, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons. After all, the line between excess and deficiency of salt in dogs is so thin, and the life of a beloved pet may depend on it.

About the author: Anna Mikhailovna Tarasova

Salt has the magical property of suppressing bitterness, which is why some coffee drinkers add a pinch of salt to their coffee before brewing. And that is why salted olives are so delicious (raw olives have a very bitter taste). It is very simple to check this property: you need to put salt on one side of the tongue, and something bitter on the other. You will immediately feel how the salty taste overpowers the bitterness.

Add some sweetness

This applies to those products in which both bitter and sweet taste are present. A good example of a similar product is grapefruit. The sweet pulp of this fruit is encased in a bitter thin film. If you remove this film, you can enjoy the sweetness. You can also leave the film on (which is quite a hassle), but instead add a little salt and the bitter taste will go away. Moreover, salt not only removes the bitter taste, but also enhances the sweetness.

Enhancing the aroma

In addition to removing bitterness and enhancing the sweet taste, salt also enhances the aroma. For example, if you add salt to a grapefruit or melon, the flavor will become sweeter and stronger.

When to salt?

The timing of adding salt to various foods can have a significant effect on their flavor and aroma.

Mushrooms. Mushrooms also need to be salted only at the very end of cooking, otherwise they will turn out sluggish, wrinkled and not so fragrant.

Meat and sauces. If you want your sauces and meat dishes to reveal their full flavor, they need to be salted at the very beginning of cooking. Do you remember the recommendations for steak preparation: beat off, salt, pepper and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Paste. Usually cooks salt water, which is just starting to boil, and only then add pasta to the salted boiling water. Also, many add very little pasta water to the sauce for this very pasta.

Salt has been scientifically proven to have a number of beneficial effects. Matt Clark has studied various magazines and received updates from experts.

Many people don't like to use salt. Why does this happen, and why add salt to the aquarium at all?

Unfortunately, there are many old myths and prejudices about the use of salt. Although sometimes misused, salt has a number of scientifically proven benefits that can be used in an aquarium to address fish health and water quality problems and reduce stress in fish, especially during transport. The main effect of salt is on osmoregulation.

What is osmoregulation? How is it related to osmosis?

Osmoregulation is a term that refers to the physiological mechanism for controlling the amount of salt and water in the internal fluids of fish. And, as the name implies, the mechanism is based on osmosis. If you remember from the course of the school curriculum, osmosis is the process of moving dissolved elements through a semipermeable membrane from a solution with a high concentration to a solution with a low concentration. Freshwater fish are themselves saltier than the water in which they live, and their skin is semi-permeable. And since there is a big difference between the salt levels inside the fish and in fresh water, freshwater fish will expel the salt and "absorb" the water. Of course, freshwater fish have problems because of this - replenishing the salt level, and getting rid of excess water. In addition, osmoregulation works less well if the fish are stressed or sick. "Osmoregulatory dysfunction" means that fish cannot get enough salt from the water and get rid of excess water.

How does freshwater fish get rid of excess water and absorb salt?

It is very easy to get rid of excess water in the body. Fish constantly excrete urine! Freshwater fish excrete huge amounts of urine - some species excrete more of their body weight every three or four days. As an example, you can imagine a guppy weighing 76 kg. This fish will fill the Juwel Rio 180 with its urine in about a week! Salt absorption is a little more difficult. To do this, freshwater fish have special cells in their gills that absorb salts, such as chlorides, which helps to maintain the body's salinity. Adding salt to the water when the fish is stressed will help the fish lose less salt from the body. The principle is similar to the saline dropper used in hospitals.

Do I need to add salt to fresh water on an ongoing basis?

Some salt vendors and manufacturers recommend adding salt to your aquarium as a regular treatment. However, while the use of salt has its own benefits, it is not necessary to continually replenish it. Experts believe this is only necessary for species that prefer brackish water. Veterinarian Chris Wolster said: “Freshwater fish need to be kept in fresh water, no other. We do not know the long term effect of placing freshwater fish in salt water. We know that if you put freshwater fish in seawater, sooner or later it will die. But we just don't know how even low salt levels affect the eyes, gills, etc. When we swim in the sea, the water irritates the eyes. Isn't the same thing happening with freshwater fish? And are there any other unknown effects that will appear in a week, a month or a year? " Dr. Peter Burgess, fish health expert, also advises against constantly adding salt: “Unless a species has a natural need for salt, there is no need to add salt to an aquarium or pond. Salt for freshwater fish is like aspirin for humans - a medicine has many beneficial effects, but no one uses it all the time. In addition, it should be borne in mind that most tropical aquariums contain species that are sensitive to salt, such as catfish. Salt can be used as support for fish that tolerate salt well, for example if they have sores or wounds that can interfere with osmoregulation. But healthy fish do not need such support. You should never use salt to compensate for poor living conditions! "

Then why is salt added to freshwater systems?

When freshwater fish are stressed, osmoregulation is impaired, and as a result, the fish secretes salts from the body into the surrounding water. Due to stress, the water and salt balance system stops working and the fish suffers. Adding salt to the water during these periods helps to reduce salt loss. In addition, salt can reduce the toxicity of pollutants and kill some pathogens.

What problems can arise from a small dosage?

Yes. For decades, salt has been used as a cheap agent against various diseases, especially against protozoa such as chilodonella, trichodina and bone, and some other pathogens such as trematodes. Unlike many other drugs, salt rarely has an effect on filtration and can be used both as a single high concentration additive and as a low concentration additive added over a long period of time. However, special care must be taken when adding a high concentration of salt, especially if the fish is already weakened by the disease.

Are fry and young fish more sensitive to salt?

Yes, laboratory studies have confirmed that fry are less resistant to salt exposure than adults. In 2002, studies were conducted on the effects of salt on blue gourami, zebrafish, thorns and diamond tetra fry. All fry tolerated a concentration of 1 ppm, and a concentration of 3 ppm had a slight effect on blue gourami fry. Tetra and zebrafish fry did well at a concentration of 1 in a thousand, but higher concentrations affected them. Therefore, care must be taken.

What is aquarium salt? Salt is just salt, isn't it?

Aquarium salt is actually regular table salt (sodium chloride), often with an anti-caking agent added to help ease the dosage. On the other hand, sea salt is highly complex and contains special mixtures of minerals, including magnesium and calcium, that help make the water more suitable for marine invertebrates. Aquarium salt does not have this effect. It is intended for therapeutic purposes, not for converting water to sea water.

I have been told not to use aquarium salts containing sodium hexacyanoferrate. Why?

Sodium hexacyanoferrate is an anti-caking agent that provides good flowability of the salt. Without such a product, the salt absorbs moisture from the air and sticks together into strong lumps that do not dissolve well. Many fish breeders, myself included, have advised against using this salt - but I bet none of them know why. I didn't really know why this supplement is considered potentially toxic. The fact is that sodium hexacyanoferrate contains cyanide! In 1990, a high concentration of cyanide was found in the effluent from the warehouses where the sodium hexacyanoferrate salt used for road dusting was stored! Cyanide in high concentrations is toxic to fish, which is why its use in fishing for marine fish is discouraged. But I could not find evidence of its danger to fish at low concentrations, and it enters the aquarium in low concentrations. Most aquarium salt producers report that they contain cyanide. At the same time, salts are very widely used, and I have never heard of the problems associated with this.

What salt is needed for Malawi cichlids? I thought Malawi is a freshwater lake.

The “salt” recommended for use in a Malawi cichlid tank is better referred to as a mineral supplement as it is not based on sodium chloride. This additive is intended to increase the hardness and alkalinity of the water, not its salinity. Some people advocate the use of this supplement, others believe that it could harm the Malawi cichlids. However, this supplement is neither vital nor even recommended, so we advise against adding it. On the other hand, this supplement can be useful if you live in a soft water area because it allows you to add missing minerals to the water.

What kind of salt should you use for your brackish water aquarium?

According to Dr. Neil Monks, an expert on brackish water fish, salt should be used for saltwater aquariums. There is no point in economizing and using rock or other salts, because the amount of salt for fresh or brackish water is very small and generally inexpensive.

How to calculate the correct dosage?

Usually the dose is calculated in grams per liter, or parts per thousand. In fact, they are the same amount. 1 part per thousand is 1 gram per liter. Knowing the volume of the aquarium or pond in liters, you can easily calculate the dosage. What types of fish do not tolerate salt? This is a difficult question to answer because it is difficult to confirm that a particular problem was caused by the addition of salt. I have seen many uses of salt with species that are not supposed to tolerate it, but there has been no negative effect. However, many say that catfish, especially the corridors, and cichlids of Malawi have a very poor tolerance for salt - although I myself have not seen this yet. Research shows that many species that live in soft, acidic water tolerate salt exposure well. Chris Wolster, a veterinarian, told us that he has never seen a salt-intolerant species yet: “Whenever I come across an unfamiliar species, I always recommend a test. During the test, the fish must be carefully observed, and at the first sign of deterioration, place them in clean fresh water. The dosage of salt varies not only in quantity but also in time. However, I know that salt tolerance differs both within a species and between species. ” Tetra's Ruper Bridges said: “I have seen very few studies showing intolerance to salt (NaCl) at concentrations of 1 to 3 parts per thousand. In one study (Roten, 2002), it was reported that at a salt concentration of 1 to 3 parts per thousand, mortality among fry of thorns (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) and some canines (Hemigrammus caudovittatus) increases, although fry of blue gourami tolerate salt without problems ... It is often believed that fish living in soft water have a very low salt tolerance. I have also heard that catfish do not tolerate salinity well, but some species can tolerate high enough salt concentrations. In general, the following rule applies: for fish living in cold water, a concentration level of up to 3 parts per thousand will be normal, and for a tropical aquarium it is recommended to use salt with caution - with concentrations of no more than 0.5-1 parts per thousand. " Dr. Peter Burgess also reports that many catfish and some other groups are intolerant to salt: "Individually, weakened freshwater fish tend to be less salt tolerant than healthy individuals."

How does salt affect the toxicity of ammonia in fish?

Ammonia in water is present in two forms: ammonium and free ammonia. Ammonium is not very dangerous for fish, and free ammonia is toxic. The ratio between hazardous ammonia and ammonium depends on the pH level, temperature and salinity of the water. The amount of free ammonia increases with decreasing salt levels. It is important, however, that the ammonia tests do not measure free ammonia. Instead, they measure the total level of so-called ammoniacal nitrogen, a combination of free ammonia and ammonium. Therefore, you must calculate the level of free ammonia yourself. For this, the PFK website has a calculator.

Does adding salt help reduce nitrite toxicity to fish?

Yes, adding salt reduces nitrite toxicity to freshwater fish. Salt is a compound containing sodium and chlorine (NaCl). Research shows that chlorine reduces the toxicity of nitrite to fish, meaning that salt can be added as a source of chlorine ions to provide some protection against nitrite for fish. It is very important that the chloride level required for this is low. According to research, the dosage should provide a chloride to nitrite ratio of 7: 1 to 10: 1. Therefore, the use of salt to reduce nitrite toxicity is safe for all fish, as the salt concentration is very low. There is a nitrite toxicity calculator on our website that helps you calculate the dosage. Dr. Peter Burgess agrees that many people mistakenly believe that large doses of salt are required to combat nitrite toxicity. Peter told us: “Only 100 mg (0.1 g) of salt per liter is enough to counteract the effect of high nitrite concentration. This is a very low concentration of salt, and all freshwater fish, even catfish, tolerate it very well. " Recently in the press, in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, there was a new article describing the physiological reasons for the varying susceptibility to nitrite poisoning in fish. Again, this is all related to chloride levels.

Does salt affect nitrate toxicity?

Yes, and there is some evidence of this. In 1974, Westin proved that nitrate in brackish water is more toxic than in fresh water. And the journal Chemosphere has published new studies on the toxicity of nitrate in fresh and sea water. According to research, the main threat of nitrate is that it transforms oxygen-carrying pigments so that they cannot carry oxygen. Similarly, research indicates that nitrate is technically less toxic in brackish water.

More recently, the question of whether it is possible to add salt to food for dogs has risen sharply. Some new owners actually faced a dictatorship on the part of the breeders: "Don't give salt!" There is also a downside, asserting that if the puppy is not given salt, the skeleton will suffer and, in general, the dog will not develop correctly. Where is the truth, and how not to harm your pet? Let's figure it out.

Let us immediately take it as an axiom that any product in excess is harmful. Here is a simple example: a dog cannot be fed with clean meat, it will quickly die from this ... the dog needs to be given meat, otherwise it will get sick and will not live half of its life. This statement applies to absolutely any type, even the highest quality and most expensive, advertised and praised ... anyone!

Another axiom - salt is the most famous and cheapest preservative known to mankind since antiquity. It is this preservative that is generously flavored with all low-quality industrial animal feed and, by the way, salt is not the most dangerous substance that can be found in the composition of an economy product.

Let's make a reservation, wild dogs get salt from food, not much, not every day but receive. Salt in its pure form, that is, sodium, is present in the metabolic process of any dog ​​(wild and domestic). So does a dog need to add salt to food? If you are guided only by this argument, the answer will be negative ... plus a dozen nuances.

Can a wild dog get sausage, cheese, store milk? No, he can not. Do you feed your pet these foods? Even if you consider that you strictly follow the diet and do not give sausage, cheese and milk are allowed. How much salt is in industrial cheese? You can find out only by handing over the product to the laboratory.

The conclusion is simple, salt in the dog's diet, even if it lives in an apartment and eats according to a strictly compiled diet, is present! The only exception is if you yourself grow (or otherwise obtain) all the products that your ward eats and are sure that they do not contain salts. By the way, plants are "fed" with additives that contain sodium. A completely different question is how much salt is already in your dog's diet and is this amount dangerous ... and are there norms?

Everything is possible in moderation!

Anyone who is familiar with cynology knows that absolutely in all service kennels of the USSR, dogs were salted with food. The norm was measured by eye, about half of the amount that is comfortable for a person. The usual stone (trusted) salt was added to the porridge ... not refined, not iodized, not sea salt. The conclusion is simple: the dog handlers of the USSR raised and raised thousands of excellent, healthy dogs. Why was there such a harsh ban? If you take contemporary literature, then in every book it will be written that dogs cannot be salt. What's the catch?

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Sodium is one of the most important trace minerals in a dog's metabolism - this is a fact. Salt is a key substance in helping to retain water in the animal's body., that is, avoiding dehydration, which is (by the way) dangerous and deadly. Another work of salt provides neural conduction, that is, the work of the brain!

Based on scientific, not "expert" facts, the conclusion is obvious - dogs need salt! The norm of salt in natural food (provided that all constituent servings do not contain salt) is 100 micro (!) Grams per (0.0001 grams) per 15 kilograms of weight per day. This norm was established through research carried out by several large groups of US scientists at once. Further, a number of nuances:

• The daily salt intake is included in all high-quality feed, that is at In industrial food, the dog's food should not be salted.

• On the recommendation of a doctor, the dog can be transferred to salt-free diet(temporarily).

• If you are prone to, you need to remove fish, store products (which may contain salt) and rock salt from the diet.

• A small amount of salt is found in everything "home", there is more salt in commercial products than is needed. Conclusion: if you buy meat in a store, do not salt the dog's food, if the meat is bought from a trusted seller from your hands, you can add salt.

How to understand that there is a lot of salt?

Salt retains and absorbs water, that is, a dog that has accumulated sodium in its tissues will . The pet will feel thirsty regardless of the air temperature. The natural consequence is this. The color of the urine will be lighter than usual. The change occurs as the dog's kidneys work faster, trying to excrete as much salt as possible in a short amount of time.

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The kidneys will withstand work at this rate for a long time (provided that the dog is otherwise healthy), the first gap, from excess salt, "appears" in cardiovascular system. When one organ speeds up its work, the body must adjust. The heart will not be able to work at the limit for a long time even in a dog there will be swelling of the limbs. The next stage is intestinal disorders and diarrhea, and neurological abnormalities.

Even in such a frightening state, not all is lost. The dog needs to be put on a therapeutic diet and help its organs to recover. It is necessary to examine and, since the likelihood of failure or education is high. The situation will be much more dangerous, one might say, more critical, if the dog is full of salt. The pet will not do this on its own, but if you unknowingly added a lot of salt to the food, it is quite likely.

Note! A dog can suffer from mild to moderate salt intoxication for its entire life by drinking contaminated water.

Salt poisoning in dogs is fraught with rapid and critical dehydration, as micronutrients literally absorb water. As is known, without water, the body can live no more than a day, and according to many doctors, the period is shorter than 24 hours. With a sharp shortage of water, the body does not have time to adjust, all organs actually cannot function, blood thickens and the heart cannot pump it... Salt poisoning is not a myth, but a quick death of a pet. Moreover, forcing the dog to drink will not correct the situation. The only chance of survival is to provide the animal with professional assistance as quickly as possible.

Important! If you suspect that your dog has consumed or is consuming too much salt, it is recommended that you do a prophylactic examination to make sure the diet you choose is not harmful to your pet.

The condition can be controlled by intravenous fluids, but this will not be done. In parallel, the four-legged needs the support of the heart and kidneys. The problem is that malfunctioning organs will lead to the accumulation of toxins. By pouring saline into your dog, you can only dilute the blood, which will carry these toxins throughout the body ... and the dog will die.

How not to harm?

The only universal advice is to think for yourself, read, consult and analyze. You should not listen to the opinion of radicals, that is, generously salt food or exclude salt altogether. The experience of thousands of dog owners, both professional and amateur, shows that there are no universal recipes for proper nutrition!

Table or kitchen salt is the only mineral salt that everyone regularly adds to their food. Salt has always been one of the most delicious elements in food. However, almost everyone knows that salt is called the "white death". Why are so many people addicted to salt and salty foods? Obviously, this widespread use of salt has its own reasons. The famous physician Michael Goren believes the following.

First, the more salt you consume, the more you want to drink. The innkeepers and innkeepers took advantage of this circumstance: the more salty a visitor eats, the more he drinks and the higher the income. So the habit of salty food gradually took root.

Secondly, salt served to preserve food from spoilage and decay. To preserve food (before there were refrigerators and freezers), salt was used. Having tried vegetables from brine, people began to salt, ferment and soak fresh vegetables. A person is so accustomed to salt everything that he is even ready to put up with some diseases, just not to switch to a salt-free diet. Gradually, the habit was developed to salt any food, without even trying it.

Thirdly, a person knows little about how much sodium and chlorine his body needs. Many foods contain these substances in excess for humans. And the so-called salt-free diet, with an average consumption of food and without milk, contains at least 1 g of salt per day and more than 2 g of salt per day if there are bread and potatoes in the diet.

Salt harm. Does the body need salt? How much salt is there and how to replace salt

The human body with a healthy heart and kidneys can excrete 25 g of salt per day - mostly with urine and partly with feces and sweat. If a person consumes more than 25 g of salt per day, the remaining salt will accumulate in his body. With pulmonary tuberculosis with profuse sweating for a long period with sweat, only 2 g of salt per day can be released. The urine of a healthy person contains no more than 9 g of sodium chloride in 1 liter. If a healthy person with healthy kidneys receives 12 g of salt per day, but excretes no more than 1 liter of urine, then 3 g of salt is retained in his body every day. If this process continues for many years, it is not difficult to imagine what happens in the body and blood: the body becomes a storehouse of salted cells. The balance between potassium and sodium is disturbed. A person swells with edema.

Skin and subcutaneous tissues, lungs, bones, muscles of a person receive a significant amount of sodium chloride, therefore, at the same time, the content of other important mineral salts, such as salts of potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, etc., decreases in its tissues. , leads to disease.

When a reasonable person decides to change his diet and completely refrain from adding salt to food, then excess sodium chloride (table salt) will gradually begin to be eliminated. Unfortunately, the amount of removed salt never reaches 25 g. This is possible only theoretically. With urine and sweat, usually 3-4 g per day can be released.

In addition, we are talking about a healthy body; if a person is seriously ill with something, then table salt increases the load on the heart, kidneys, inhibits the movement of blood through the vessels. You need to know: diseases of the blood, lungs, liver, blood vessels, heart, kidneys, first of all, require a complete exclusion of table salt from the diet.

At the same time, the body should be provided with the removal of excess sodium chloride accumulations from it. This can be facilitated by sour milk, a salt-free diet, which is especially necessary for all forms of inflammation or edema.

Some doctors object to a salt-free diet, they believe that the body loses salt when sweating, and this loss must be replenished by adding salt to the food. This is a gross delusion. The body itself tries to maintain the level of sodium chloride in the blood at all costs. Do not forget that in our body, sodium should be only 15%. Salt accumulated in the tissues quickly passes into the blood, so the required level of sodium chloride in the blood returns to normal even if a person loses it through sweat, feces or vomit. So, even if you eat only raw vegetables and fruits, then even then a person receives more than 1 g of sodium chloride, that is, table salt per day. So, we can say that salt is present in food even with a salt-free diet.

When it comes to a salt-free diet, it just means that you don't need to add refined table salt to your food. Otherwise, all the positive results of natural nutrition may come to naught. If it is impossible to buy bread without salt, it is better to bake your own homemade bread, kneading flour together with bran in mineral water, where there is a "bouquet" of salts. You can add onion juice, cumin, or other spices to the dough.

Cooking without salt is not easy. Some foods without salt are generally inedible. But, fortunately, most of these products do not matter for our health, or even unnecessary (like everything harmful, steamed). You can add one-day sour milk, fresh herbs, garlic, onions to the soup. Better yet, skip soups altogether if the budget and climate allow. A man came to soup out of poverty, sometimes because of the cold.

Noodles, pasta, other flour products lose their taste without salt, but you can painlessly exclude them from the diet, in extreme cases, refine them with fresh vegetables - tomatoes, onions, garlic, herbs, which should be 3 times more. Better to refrain from foods that require salt. Baked potatoes are good without salt, especially if you divide them into two halves, bake them in the oven and then eat them along with the peel and vegetable oil, as well as with sour cream or vegetable oil sauce with garlic and herbs. You can add a salad of fresh vegetables or sauerkraut, which contains as little salt as possible, to such a dish.

It is not easy for a pickle lover to get used to food without salt. It is difficult for a hostess to learn how to cook without salt. But for health, for getting rid of diseases, it is worth working hard. After 6-8 weeks, having got used to natural food, a person will not need an artificial addition of salt, and unsoaked feta cheese or herring will seem tasteless, since it will have a different taste, and he will become a delicate taster of the food intended for him by Nature.

A salt-free diet is often a matter of life and death. Garlic, onion, horseradish, radish are natural salt, and lemon and apple juices are excellent substitutes for table salt. For various diseases, the use of sea salt is sometimes prescribed, which, in addition to chlorine and sodium, contains a number of other mineral elements and rare metals that are almost not found in food. Better to eat