On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 1219

Iodized Salt Some salts do carry an
undisputed health benefit. Iodized salts
include trace amounts of potassium iodide,
and thus are a source of a mineral that’s
essentialforproperfunctioningofthethyroid
gland, which regulates the body’s heat
production, protein metabolism, and
developmentofthenervoussystem.Iodineis
a chemical relative of chlorine and readily
found in ocean fish, seaweeds, and crops and
animals raised near the seacoast. Iodine
deficiencywasoncecommonininlandareas,
and is still a significant problem in rural
China. It causes both physical and mental
impairment,especiallyinchildren.
Salt to Taste: Salt Preference Both the
sensitivity to salt and the preference for
saltiness in foods vary a great deal from
person to person. They depend on several
factors, including inherited differences in the
numbers and effectiveness of taste receptors


on the tongue, general health, age, and
experience.Mostyoungadultscanidentifyas
salty a water solution with 0.05% salt, or 1
teaspoon in 10 quarts/liters, while people
older than sixty years generally detect
saltiness only at double that concentration.
Many manufactured soups, which many
peopleexperienceasmoderatelytoverysalty,

arearound1%salt(10grams,or2teaspoons
per quart/liter), approximately the same
concentrationasourbloodplasma.Somemay
be 3% salt, which is the average salinity of
seawater.
Itappearsthatthebasiclikingforsaltinessis
innateinhumans,nodoubtbecausesaltisan
essentialnutrient.Thepreferenceforacertain
levelofsaltinessislearnedthroughrepeated
eatingexperiencesandtheexpectationsthey
createinus.Preferencescanbechangedby
constantexposuretodifferentsaltlevels,
whichchangesexpectations.Butthistakes
time,usuallytwotofourmonths.