Regular table salt is the most commonplace condiment in the world. That’s not surprising as both sodium and chloride are necessary for life and salt is the most convenient source for these compounds.

As vital as it is, the human body needs only very little salt. The daily upper limit for adults is around 2,300 milligrams. For those aged 51 years and above, it should be just 1,500 mg. For children it’s even less with the limit set at 1,000 mg a day.

There are actually different kinds of edible salt. Regular table salt is the refined variety with more additives like iodine. This is usually sourced from mineral rock deposits. Unrefined or less refined types are kosher salt and sea salt which is made by evaporating seawater. While they may have varying degrees of additional mineral content, the basic composition of all these types is still sodium chloride and the recommended limits still apply.

The Superhuman Food Pyramid lists table salt under moderate use. Read more to learn about the benefits and risks of regular table salt. Continue reading →