What Would Happen if Salt Did Not Exist?
Salt is a common everyday seasoning. You can find salt or one of its precursors in nearly any living thing. However, these days there have been many studies saying that excessive salt is bad for you. Now there is active marketing for products low in salt. However, what would happen if salt did not exist?
The Chemistry Primer
Salt is a compound derived from sodium and chloride, known as NaCl. It is found in oceans in the form of salt water. When saltwater is processed, the salt collected will contain other trace elements. This requires it to be refined. Salt refinement requires precipitating and removing the other trace elements. This allows you to collect the pure product. But, some elements including iodine are added to address other health concerns. Salt has a high melting and freezing point of 801 degrees Celsius and -21.12 degrees Celsius respectively.
Why Salt is Bad for You
High salt consumption has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease as well as stroke, kidney disease, and hypertension. All these conditions can act as gateways to even more dangerous health problems. Thus, efforts should be made to avoid such conditions. This is why there are now suggested limits on the amount of salt that should be consumed each day.
Why We Need Salt
Salt can be broken down into sodium and chloride. This is important for some human biological functions. Without the sodium from salt, our body’s nervous system would misfire and our muscles would not contract properly. This would be debilitation to higher motor functions. It is also part of the bodies ability to regulate fluid balance. Without salt, our ability to uptake other necessary compounds is hampered, leading to a variety of medical concerns. Thus, to survive we either need salt or need to find an effective substitute for salt.
So Aside From Our Survival, Why Else Do We Need Salt?
Aside from the fact that if we don’t have salt we would die, salt is used in many different applications. These range from food to industrial processes. In fact, salt is used in many things we take for granted. For example, when roads are iced over, salt is commonly used to melt the ice. This is due to how when the ice comes into contact with the salt, a new solution is formed. This solution has its freezing point reduced beyond the normal freezing point of water. Because of this, it takes colder temperatures to freeze the solution, making the probability of it becoming ice again unlikely. It is also used in making rubber, soap, aluminum products, and some plastics. Ultimately, salt is used in many processes.
What Would A World Without Salt Look Like?
To start, there would likely be no humans. Many other animals and organisms would not exist as well. Plants also need a little salt, so there would be fewer plants. Ultimately, the world would look a lot different from the world now if salt did not exist.
