Salt: too much is unhealthy!

Table salt

You have probably heard it before: too much salt is unhealthy!

But why at all and what alternatives are there?

White salt, which is sold in supermarkets under the name of cooking or table salt and which is contained in almost all finished products, no longer belongs to the natural salts, it is no longer a holistic food.

Unprocessed salts contain minerals and trace elements. Table salt, however, goes through a complex, industrial processing. It is bleached, boiled at high temperatures and purified - refined. In the end, it consists only of sodium chloride, and to prevent it from sticking together and remaining free-flowing, anti-caking agents are added.

Risks of excessive salt consumption

A study by D'Elia, Rossi, Ippolito, Cappuccino and Strazzullo (2012) with 268,718 participants shows a direct link between salt consumption and the risk of developing stomach cancer. The risk of developing stomach cancer increases the higher the salt consumption.

Numerous empirical studies also show a correlation between the development of hypertension and high salt consumption. Frisoli, Schneider, Grodzicki, Messerli (2012) also prove this, but also that a dietary adjustment through reduced salt consumption is not effective in all cases to lower blood pressure again.

Pickling salt

By avoiding processed foods, salt consumption can already be reduced many times over. It is also important not to overlook sausages, especially in a typical Swiss Café Complet. In addition to table salt, these usually contain sodium nitrite (E 250) or sodium nitrate (E 251) - these two substances are used to preserve food. There are several indications that these two substances are harmful to health and carcinogenic.

Already in 2007, the World Cancer Research Fund stated that there is a significant link between the consumption of processed meat and the development of colorectal cancer. Sodium nitrite emerged as a possible cause for the development of colorectal cancer.

In the review paper by Crowe, Elliott and Green (2019), this suspicion was confirmed - nitrites can lead to the formation of nitrosene compounds, which are carcinogenic.

Anti-caking agent

You can tell if your table salt at home has been given an anti-caking agent by looking at the ingredient list on the food.

Below are two commonly used anti-caking agents with their E numbers:

  • Potassium ferrocyanide (E 536): Nothing is known so far about harmful effects of potassium ferrocyanide as an additive. Because ferrocyanides are extremely toxic as a pure substance, the permissible amount as a separating agent in table salt is very low (20 milligrams per kilogram of table salt). In order to reach the intake level of a maximum of 1.5 milligrams per day, which is considered to be safe, a whole 15 teaspoons of table salt would have to be consumed daily, which is very unlikely.

  • Calcium orthophosphate E341: A study by Ritz, Hahn, Ketteler, Kuhlmann, Mann (2012) shows that a high phosphate concentration in the blood is a risk for cardiovascular events and increased mortality. Natural phosphates are not a problem, but artificial phosphates are.

My recommendations

It is best to avoid processed foods as much as possible and use an unprocessed natural salt without additives for your own cooking. You can usually get these in specialist shops or in a spice shop.

Notes: Fleur de sel used to be a very healthy salt. Unfortunately, recent research shows that it has become a questionable source of microplastics. The concentration of microplastics is not as high in a high quality sea salt. There is also rock salt, which is a good alternative as long as it is offered unprocessed and natural.

Regarding iodine supplementation, I recommend having your own iodine levels measured by your doctor and supplementing with high quality iodine if necessary.

Bibliography:

  • D'Elia L, Rossi G, Ippolito R, Cappuccio FP, Strazzullo P. (2012) Habitual salt intake and risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Clin Nutr, 31(4), 489-98.

  • Frisoli TM, Schmieder RE, Grodzicki T, Messerli FH. (2012) Salt and hypertension: is salt dietary reduction worth the effort? Am J Med,125(5):433-9.

  • Crowe W, Elliott CT, Green BD. (2019) A Review of the In Vivo Evidence Investigating the Role of Nitrites Exposure from Processed Meat Consumption in the Development of Colorectal Cancer. Nutrients, 5;11(11):2673.

  • Ritz E, Hahn K, Ketteler M, Kuhlmann MK, Mann J. (2012) Phosphate additives in food--a health risk. Dtsch Arztebl Int, 109(4):49-55. 

Marion Josel