Salt

My lovely wife believes in less salt.  So I do not put salt in the bread I make and have never used salt in any of the recipes that I make.

Here is an interesting link on salt:

Some of their points:

After the Industrial Revolution, salt became inexpensive and plentiful. It found a valuable role as a food preservative, and the average consumption soared to as much as 7,000 milligrams (mg) a day in the 19th century. Salt has long since outlived its use as a preservative, but our hankering for sodium lingers on, with daily consumption in America averaging 3,436 mg.



salt is essential for human health. The average adult's body contains 250 grams (g) of sodium — less than 9 ounces, or about the amount in three or four saltshakers. Distributed throughout the body, salt is especially plentiful in body fluids ranging from blood, sweat, and tears to semen and urine.


Sodium is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, always bringing water along with it. It is the major mineral in plasma, the fluid component of blood, and in the fluids that bathe the body's cells. Without enough sodium, all these fluids would lose their water, causing dehydration, low blood pressure, and death.


Fortunately, it only takes a tiny amount of sodium to prevent this doomsday scenario; in fact, some isolated population groups manage perfectly well on just 200 mg a day. About one-quarter of the tongue's taste buds are devoted to recognizing salt; like other animals, humans can — and do — seek out salt when they need it. 


Scientists know that sodium has an important influence on blood pressure, but they are not sure exactly how it works. It's no surprise, since the systems that control blood pressure include dozens of complex vascular, neurological, and hormonal elements. Although the body can rid itself of excessive dietary sodium, it seems likely that eating salt expands your blood volume, at least to a subtle degree. In turn, the extra volume may signal your kidneys to trigger a cascade of hormonal and vascular effects that raise blood pressure.


Why did the link between sodium and blood pressure generate so much heat? Part of the reason stems from the body's intrinsic complexity: sodium is but one of an enormous number of factors that affect blood pressure — and for all its importance, blood pressure is only one of the many things that determine vascular health.


Little by little, though, a consensus has emerged. Most researchers, scientific advisory boards, and government agencies agree that reducing dietary salt will lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, and save lives 


So beware of your salt intake!


Matthew 5:13 (NIV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.