Hardly any other substance can be found in so many different places and is used in such different ways as sodium chloride. A wide variety of industries use this salt for technical purposes or as a component of various products. While on the one hand there is a warning against excessive salt consumption and low-salt food is increasingly being marketed in the food industry, salt-based products from the health and beauty care sector are still selling well. But does sodium chloride have anything to do with cosmetics? What is the difference between the effects of sodium chloride when used externally and the consumption of salt through foodl?
This article explains how sodium chloride is made and the purposes for which it is used. It also explains what to look for in your diet regarding salt and how sodium chloride affects skin health.
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THAT DOES SODIUM CHLORIDE
- Sodium chloride is essential to human life.
- On the skin, it helps against impurities, inflammation and itching.
- Diets high in salt can be harmful.
Overview:
What is sodium chloride?
How is sodium chloride obtained?
What is sodium chloride used for?
How much sodium chloride should you eat??
Which foods contain a lot of salt??
Is salt good for the skin??
Conclusion
What is sodium chloride?
Sodium chloride is the chemical name for table salt, also abbreviated under the chemical formulaNaClknown. It can be found in cosmetic products under the nameSodium Chloride again.It is a sodium salt which forms colorless crystals with a cubic structure and is readily soluble in water. In water, with increasing concentration, it causes a decrease in vapor pressure.
Table salt is an essential mineral for both animals and humans. The average body of an adult contains around 200 to 250 g of sodium chloride, of which around 3 to 13 g are excreted daily in healthy people and have to be replaced by ingesting food.
In addition to its function as a spice and preservative in food production, sodium chloride is also used in a variety of ways for various technical purposes and as a component of medical products and cosmetics.
How is sodium chloride obtained?
Every year around 250 million tons of sodium chloride are produced from natural rock salt or sea salt with the help of various processes. Sea salt, rock salt, brine and evaporated salt are among the 4 basic products of the salt industry and are produced and traded worldwide. In nature, salt occurs in large quantities, especially in salty sea water and on the sediments of dried-up bays and grottos as well as in the form of salt lakes and salt glaciers in some mountains. The largest salt producers include European, US and Chinese companies.
In salt mines, among other things, rock salt is separated from the rock with the help of bores, blasting, cutting or suction, and then crushed with crushers and transported away. Alternatively, the salt can be dissolved in water by drilling fluids and transported outside in the form of 26.5% brine. With the help of vacuum steamers or solar radiation, the water is then removed from the brine and thus trickle salt is produced.
In coastal regions with a high level of solar radiation, in so-calledSalt marshes Sea water filled into shallow pool cascades. Due to the natural evaporation of the water, the concentration of the salt increases so that after some time it can either be skimmed off directly from the surface of the water or pushed aside and then dried.
What is sodium chloride used for?
Sodium chloride is used in many different areas. Apart from food, it fulfills a wide range of technical functions and is therefore used in different branches of industry.
For what technical purposes is sodium chloride used?
In Germany, sodium chloride is used in large quantities mainly as industrial salt, which is also known under the nameRock salt is known to be used in the basic chemical industry. It is used, for example, for chlor-alkali electrolysis with caustic soda and other substances, as well as for the so-calledSolvay processwith sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen carbonate. The resulting chemical substances are used, among other things, for the production of various construction and plastics, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
Sodium chloride is also used for processing certain metals and textiles and as a regeneration salt for water softening. Furthermore, rock salt is often used in winter as de-icing salt for snow, ice and frost. In this case, liquid brine or a chemical trickling aid is usually added to the salt in order to be able to distribute it better.
How is sodium chloride used in healthcare
In the medical field, too, sodium chloride is traditionally used in a variety of ways for different products and treatments. For example, patients are injected with a 0.9% saline solution when they have lost blood in order to replenish the blood volume. In addition, saline solution is often used for gargling and as a nasal spray or nasal rinse for colds, infections and irritation of the mucous membranes to alleviate the symptoms. Some people also visit salt caves to combat respiratory diseases, where they can breathe salty air. In addition, various products, which are mainly based on salt, are also used to heal and care for the skin. These include, for example, brine baths, salty ointments, peelings and all kinds of cosmetics.
How is sodium chloride used as a food
Sodium chloride is known to be used as table salt in human nutrition. Both pure salt and salty spice mixtures are used to season various dishes. It is not uncommon for chemical trickling aids as well as sodium fluoride or certain iodine compounds to be added to the table salt. Many foods also contain salt for preservation purposes.
Salt is also sometimes used in pet food in order to contribute to the health of the animals and to stimulate their appetite.
How much sodium chloride should you eat??
You can't do without salt completely; a small amount of sodium chloride is part of a balanced diet. Salt fulfills important tasks in the body, for example it contributes to digestion, the formation of bones and the transmission of nerve impulses. A lack of salt can lead to various ailments. In Germany and other European countries, however, the excessive salt consumption of many people is now a bigger problem, which can also be linked to serious health problems. Experts therefore recommend that, as a healthy adult, only consume around 4 to 5 g of salt per day, which is roughly the same as a teaspoon. In children, the recommended daily dose is correspondingly lower depending on age and body weight.
This happens when there is a lack of salt
Sodium deficiency can be caused by various medications, vomiting, diarrhea, and too little salt consumption of less than 3 g per day. The following symptoms indicate that your body may be lacking in salt:
- fatigue
- dizziness
- Difficulty concentrating
- confusion
- Orientation difficulties
- slowed movements
As such symptoms can also be caused by other nutritional deficiencies and other problems, as a precaution you should have a doctor investigate the cause of the symptoms instead of simply eating more salt.
This happens when you overdose on salt
Consuming more than 6 g daily can cause some health problems in adult humans. The following list contains the common symptoms that typically indicate a salt overdose:
- high blood pressure
- Heart attack
- stroke
- Stomach cancer
- Eczema
- Obesity
- frequent thirst
If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, please clarify with a doctor whether excessive salt consumption or some other reason is the main cause of the symptoms.
Which foods contain a lot of salt??
Since sodium chloride is mainly used for seasoning and as a preservative, it is found in particularly large quantities in highly processed foods, sauces, ready meals and fast food. Animal bread toppings such as ham and cheese as well as spicy snacks also typically contain a lot of salt and should not be consumed in large quantities. The following table uses the example of some salty foods to show how much salt they contain per 100 g:
|
Food |
Salt content per 100 g |
|
Herring fillet |
7.5 g |
|
smoked ham |
5.5 g |
|
salami |
4.5 g |
|
Pretzel Sticks |
4 g |
|
Gouda cheese |
3.5 g |
|
mustard |
3 g |
|
Ketchup |
2.5 g |
|
bread |
2 g |
Is salt good for the skin??
Whether salt is healthy or harmful to the skin essentially depends on how it is used. Applied from the outside, you can achieve positive effects on the skin with salt and salty cosmetics, even salty air, such as by the sea, is considered good for the skin.
What does the external application of salt do on the skin
Excess sebum, for example from oily skin, is removed with the help of salt, as are dead skin cells. Salt can also make the skin cleaner and softer overall. The positive effect is due, among other things, to the fact that sodium chloride has a disinfecting property. Sea water as well as various creams,Shampoos, Peelings, toner, shower gels and other care products that contain large amounts of salt have an antibacterial effect and inhibit inflammation, which can prevent and counteract pimples and various skin impurities. Salt can also relieve the symptoms of itching, rashes and various skin diseases, which is why in the case of neurodermatitis, for example, many people affected take baths in the Dead Sea, brine swimming pools or other bodies of water with a high salt content. As a precaution, the treatment of a skin disease should always be discussed with a dermatologist.
How does a high-salt diet affect the skin?
Sodium chloride has less beneficial effects on the skin when it is ingested in large quantities through food. Of course, a balanced diet also includes some salt, although consumption should be limited. The results of various studies indicate that increased salt consumption can promote both the drying out of the skin and some autoimmune diseases, such as neurodermatitis. If you want to take action against skin diseases, dryness or impurities with the help of diet, you should rather reduce salt in the diet. Before making any radical changes to your eating habits, however, it is best to talk to a dermatologist or nutritionist about it first.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be said that sodium chloride is a versatile mineral. Table salt is used in many different industries and its regular intake through food is absolutely essential for humans. However, overdosing can easily occur, which can lead to neurodermatitis and various cardiovascular diseases, among other things. For this reason, it is important to keep the consumption of sausage products, some sauces and other salty foods within limits.
Products that contain sodium chloride are generally good for skin care. The external application of salt and salt-based creams can have beneficial effects on skin blemishes, inflammation, irritation and various skin diseases.