Salt is the most common condiment in life, but also a must, for a long time without salt supplementation, human beings will be weak, and even various symptoms. So many people will ask, how did ancient humans who were not on the seashore get salt, or could they live a healthy life without salt?
When exactly did salt begin to be used by humans?
The earliest claim about salt dates back to ancient times, when humans did not know how to use salt, but after eating the carcasses of animals contaminated with seawater, they found that the seawater was better than the food on land, so people gradually used coarse salt for food, that is, the earliest coarse salt used in our countryside, also known as natural salt.
However, with the subsequent excavation of various history books, the record of salt is also believed to have been discovered in the Yanhuang period, when the salt theory still did not exist, the ancients called it "halogen", which is actually concentrated brine. Archaeologists have found relics of salt frying in Fujian, the mainland, which can prove that the earliest edible salt on the mainland can be traced back to 3,000-5,000 years ago.
The rule of the ancient kings on salt, very strict, the official is generally holding the right to operate salt and iron, private dare to sell, are the felony of killing the head, many people will have such a question, iron products in order to prevent the manufacture of weapons rebellion, that salt to the sea to dry there, and only a condiment, why is the supervision so strict?
Ancient salt is definitely a necessity for the people's home, and no salt is not only related to the deliciousness of food, even people who do not eat salt for a long time, there will be fatigue, edema, nausea and vomiting and other symptoms, if it is on the way to the army, the army has no salt, the weak soldiers, how to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy to defend the country? Therefore, if there are rebels who do not eat salt for a long time, they will also become a touch and collapse.
What role does table salt play in the human body?
The main component of table salt is sodium chloride (NaCL), the nerve conduction of the human body is inseparable from sodium ions, whether it is the contraction or relaxation of the heart, as well as the regulation of muscles, sodium is an indispensable main component. Table salt also has a particularly important role in maintaining the distribution of water in the body and the balance of cellular osmolality. To take a simple example, fish in the sea and freshwater fish can not change the living conditions, because after the long-term evolution of fish, intracellular osmotic pressure is different, freshwater fish into the seawater, will die due to cell dehydration, salt in the human body, but also similar.
At the same time, salt can also promote metabolism, enhance appetite, promote the secretion of pepsin, regulate acidity and alkalinity, maintain acid-base balance in the body, etc., that is to say, salt is not only a seasoning for humans, but also an important trace element to maintain vital signs. Patients with three highs generally have to eat less salt, who has ever seen who can survive without eating salt? Or doctors advise patients with three highs not to eat salt, which is certainly unrealistic, because salt is an important component in maintaining vital signs.
What are the consequences if the salt intake is too low?
Many people adhere to low salt, low sugar life, in the long run may be insufficient salt intake, there will be limb weakness, leg and foot cramps, loss of appetite, if it is more serious, there may be blurred vision, slow response, abnormal heart rhythm and other symptoms, serious will be life-threatening.
Many manual workers have a higher demand for salt content, because when sweating, the body sweats, sweat contains a lot of salt, so many people will say that the skin taste is salty, which is also the truth. When the body is insufficient, it appears weak, especially in the summer, many people feel weak as soon as they sweat, which is caused by lack of water and salt in the body. When the summer is hot, it is most likely to occur heat stroke, in fact, heat stroke is also a symptom caused by lack of salt and water, a large amount of salt is lost, but the water in the cells is sufficient, so it will lead to water poisoning that people often hear. Do not eat salt in the short term, generally first weak, and then the nervous system gradually abnormal, began to appear all over the body edema, and finally if you still do not eat salt, the human body will die because of lack of sodium ions.
Modern science believes that newborn babies are not recommended to consume salt. Born 1-3 years old need to consume a small amount of salt, generally controlled within 2g per day, with the increase of age, salt intake can be appropriately increased, admit that the daily intake is best not more than 6g, of course, but also because of the physique, such as three high patients to reduce the intake.
How did primitive people live without eating salt?
The above we are talking about the normal life of the population, in fact, there are many primitive tribes on the earth, their lives, the intake of salt is very low, many people consume less than 2g per day, but they are still healthy living, although the living space is closed, the means of obtaining salt is single and small, but the study has found that the probability of them suffering from cardiovascular disease is far lower than that of modern people, why is this?
Primitive people generally have the ability to hunt, drill wood for fire, although due to the closed nature of the living environment, it is difficult to get sea salt, but it does not mean that they do not have other means to obtain salt, in fact, the way primitive people obtain salt, similar to animals, but the way is more diversified, the means are more intelligent.
Many animals can't get food salt similar to humans, but they know how to lick the salt they can get, such as cats, like to lick their fur, and scratch, because it contains salt secreted from the body, so for them, the loss of salt is not so much.
Friends who have been to the farm may find that the farmer will intimately prepare salt stones for the animals to lick themselves, and even put some directly in the food, or provide the animals with light salt water, so that they can replenish the salt needed in the animals. Friends who have fed cattle at home in the past should also know that cows like to eat salt.
For animals, they do not know how to maintain health and do not know how to obtain salt, but as long as someone is willing to provide salty food, animals are happy to enjoy it, because salty food is more delicious, which is an indisputable fact. Primitive people are obviously smarter than animals, bullet-caught animals, the body itself has salt, while primitive people will choose to grill meat, less salt loss, more salt into the primitive human body, so as to ensure the maximum salt intake.
Many animals are omnivorous, and plants also contain salt, such as wild boars can get enough salt by grazing, while also hunting other foods.
If you climb the mountain frequently, sometimes you may encounter a white stone, touch it, it will change into a very fine powder, yes, this is salt, many animals have the habit of licking this stone, just to replenish the salt in the body. Wise primitive people would collect this salt and sprinkle it when cooking, which is their edible salt.
Primitive people need to go out hunting every day, so they need to pay more physical strength in their lives, and the salt intake in the body should not keep up, but the original human body hair is longer, so it will reduce the discharge of pore sweat and reduce the loss of salt, so as to ensure that the content of salt in the body is controlled within a certain range.
Before there was an urban legend, a primitive little girl was adopted by modern people, due to the change in eating habits and salt intake, the little girl gradually faded the hair on the body, only retained the hair, and finally no different from modern people, although I don't know the truth or falsity of this story, but the long-term intake of sufficient salt, the body will definitely make corresponding adjustments, which is a manifestation of the survival of the fittest. But one thing is for sure, the salt intake of primitive people must have been much lower than that of modern people.
Modern people three meals a day, meal meat and vegetarian collocation, nutritional balance, salt also has iodized salt to prevent big neck disease, it can be said that more and more perfect, although life has been getting better, but there is a point to pay attention to, do not excess nutrition, good things can not be used more, salt should also be appropriate is the best, healthy life, can not be separated from a reasonable diet, and finally decide whether to be healthy or not, is a good living habits. Salt, the right amount is best!