Salt
<p ><b>Salt</b>, also known as <b>table salt</b>, or <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_salt" title="Rock salt" class="mw-redirect" >rock salt</a></b>, is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystalline" title="Crystalline" class="mw-redirect" >crystalline</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral" title="Mineral" >mineral</a> that is composed primarily of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chloride" title="Sodium chloride" >sodium chloride</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NaCl" title="NaCl" class="mw-redirect" >NaCl</a>), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt(chemistry)" title="Salt (chemistry)" >ionic salts</a>. It is essential for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal" title="Animal" >animal</a> life in small quantities, but is harmful to animals and plants in excess. Salt is one of the oldest, most ubiquitous food seasonings and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salting(food)" title="Salting (food)" >salting</a> is an important method of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_preservation" title="Food preservation" >food preservation</a>. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taste" title="Taste" >taste</a> of salt (saltiness) is one of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_tastes" title="Basic tastes" class="mw-redirect" >basic human tastes</a>.
Salt for human consumption is produced in different forms: unrefined salt (such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_salt" title="Sea salt" >sea salt</a>), refined salt (table salt), and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodized_salt" title="Iodized salt" class="mw-redirect" >iodized salt</a>. It is a crystalline solid, white, pale pink or light gray in color, normally obtained from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_water" title="Sea water" class="mw-redirect" >sea water</a> or rock deposits. Edible rock salts may be slightly grayish in color because of mineral content.</p>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloride" title="Chloride" >Chloride</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium" title="Sodium" >sodium</a> ions, the two major components of salt, are needed by all known living creatures in small quantities. Salt is involved in regulating the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water" title="Water" >water</a> content (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_balance" title="Fluid balance" >fluid balance</a>) of the body. </p>
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The sodium ion itself is used for electrical signaling in the nervous system.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup> Because of its importance to survival, salt has often been considered a valuable commodity during human history. However, as salt consumption has increased during modern times, scientists have become aware of the health risks associated with too much salt intake, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension" title="Hypertension" >high blood pressure</a>. Therefore health authorities have recommended limitations of dietary sodium.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-1" >[2]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-2" >[3]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-3" >[4]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-4" >[5]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-5" >[6]</a></sup> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Health_and_Human_Services" title="United States Department of Health and Human Services" >United States Department of Health and Human Services</a>recommends that individuals consume no more than 1500–2300 mg of sodium (3750–5750 mg of salt) per day depending on age.<sup id="cite_ref-diet_6-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt#cite_note-diet-6" >[7]</a></sup></p>