Salt it up

Have you ever tasted food without salt? If you haven't don't dare trying it because you will regret for a lifetime. Apart from making our food palatable salt is an integral part of our health. Sodium Chloride(NaCl) as the chemists would call it is necessary for the proper functioning of our body. Sodium is a vital ingredient of the body's extra-cellular fluids and helps in transportation of nutrients to the cells. It plays a valuable role in regulating the blood pressure. Iodine is normally added to common salt to enrich the nutritional value of salt. Iodized salt is preferred for cooking and it helps prevent iodine deficiency diseases like goitre. But consuming excess of salt can harm you. Surplus intake of salt can lead to hypertension, muscle cramps, heart burn, ulcer and dizziness. Traditionally in India salt has been used to drive away the devil as a custom.