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

Iodized Salt Some salts carry an undisputed health benefit Iodized salts include trace amounts of potassium iodide, and thus are a source of a mineral that’s essential for proper functioning of the thyroid gland, which regulates the body’s heat production, protein metabolism, and development of the nervous system Iodine is a chemical relative of chlorine and readily found in ocean fish, seaweeds, and crops and animals raised near the seacoast Iodine deficiency was once common in inland areas, and is still a significant problem in rural China It causes both physical and mental impairment, especially in children 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 Most young adults can identify as salty a water solution with 0.05% salt, or teaspoon in 10 quarts/liters, while people older than sixty years generally detect saltiness only at double that concentration Many manufactured soups, which many people experience as moderately to very salty, are around 1% salt (10 grams, or 2 teaspoons per quart/liter), approximately the same concentration as our blood plasma Some may be 3% salt, which is the average salinity of seawater It appears that the basic liking for saltiness is innate in humans, no doubt because salt is an essential nutrient The preference for a certain level of saltiness is learned through repeated eating experiences and the expectations they create in us Preferences can be changed by constant exposure to different salt levels, which changes expectations But this takes time, usually two to four months  ... essential nutrient The preference for a certain level of saltiness is learned through repeated eating experiences and the expectations they create in us Preferences can be changed by constant exposure to different salt levels,... are around 1% salt (1 0 grams, or 2 teaspoons per quart/liter), approximately the same concentration as our blood plasma Some may be 3% salt, which is the average salinity of seawater It appears that the basic liking for saltiness is innate in humans, no doubt because salt is an.. .on the tongue, general health, age, and experience Most young adults can identify as salty a water solution with 0.05% salt, or teaspoon in 10 quarts/liters, while