Let it be any favorite food but if there is no salt in it, the fun of eating is lost. Many advertisements for refined, free flow, granular, iodized salt can be seen on TV and elsewhere. How this salt is good for the body is explained very creatively in these advertisements. But is it really so?
Currently, thyroid disease is on the rise in many people. How thyroid dysfunction does occur even after consuming such beneficial salt? According to a research done by Dr. Himmatarao Bawaskar, actually changing lifestyle and eating this iodized salt are the main reasons behind this growing thyroid disease. (Thyroid gland: Victim of Iodinated salt. Dr. Himmatrao Bawaskar, Dr. Pramodini Bawaskar. The international journal of clinical practices (IJCP). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.13523)
In mountainous areas like Himachal Pradesh, low levels of iodine in the water have led to the development of goiter in many people and the use of iodized salt may be necessary .But the same criteria do not apply to everyone as the geographical conditions are different in all parts of the country.
However, commercialization has increased the popularity of this iodized salt and attracted people to it. The iodine required by the body is also obtained from sea salt i.e. rock salt. However, Dr. Bawaskar concluded that excessive consumption of iodized salt has led to an increase in thyroid-like diseases.
Salt which is naturally extracted from the sea, contains 84 different components. It also contains enough iodine to meet the body’s needs. But the table salt available in the market is bleached to make it look shiny. This process destroys many of its natural minerals.
To make the same salt iodized, 30-50 mg of iodine is mixed in 1 kg of salt or 50 to 84 mg of potassium iodate is added to 1 kg of sodium chloride. According to a medical report, iodized salt in the market is mixed with factory-made chemical iodine instead of natural iodine, which is harmful to the body.
Similarly, sodium is mixed in the form of sodium chloride. The body needs sodium in its natural form. Excessive intake of sodium can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and various kidney diseases.
The salt extracted from the mine is heated to a temperature of 1200 degrees to make a glossy table salt. This destroys not only the impurities but also many of the useful minerals. Making table salt too soft makes it prone to lumps. So fluoride, monosodium glutamate, etc. are added to make it granular.
It is also mixed with many bleaching chemicals to make it look white. These white shiny salts are more harmful to the body than being useful. And it is as harmful as toxins to the body.
Use of this chemical salt is the root cause of many diseases as acidity, digestive problems, diseases, blood pressure etc.
The human body needs less than 5 grams of salt a day. This need is met from vegetables, amti, chutney etc. we consume. However, many people also consume papad, air-conditioned soup, pickles, bread, farsan etc. All this food items contains high amount of salt in them. As a result, the amount of salt in the body gradually increases and the foundation of various diseases is laid.
Currently, many people eat various chips and wafers in the meantime as a time pass food. It is especially popular among young children. But in reality, this wafer contains five times as much salt to make them more durable. So this causes a large amount of salt to go into the body. Due to this, many complaints of digestive diseases, acidity, and blood pressure and hair problems are found at a very young age.
