A Dash of Salt

Necessary for basic functions of the human body and beneficial for the taste buds, salt is a wonderful molecule. Salt is made up of positively charged sodium and negatively charged chloride atoms, which can be seen in the figure below. Salt is highly soluble due to the likelihood of salt ions dispersing in water. This means that it attracts water, which makes it a good preservative. This explains why salt has been considered an important part of society for hundreds of years. Ancient Egyptians used it for mummification, France has taxed salt on and off over the past 300 years, and it allowed humans to preserve meat before refrigeration, extending lives and easing expansion.
Aside from historical benefits, salt is biologically crucial, as well. It is necessary for the sodium-potassium pump, which helps the heart and digestive system. If an individual lacks salt, he may suffer from weight and appetite loss, cramps, nausea, or vascular collapse in extreme cases. There is a lot of debate over what kind of salt is best for you, and ultimately a person needs to be careful as to what kind and how much salt he consumes. Table salt is the most processed, and iodized salt is recommended to eat, while non-iodized salt is  recommended for gargling.
I chose salt because the discussion the class had following the presentation interested me, and I had never thought to look into different kinds of salt to put on my food. I now know that the recommended daily consumption is 2300-2500 mg, and I will eventually try and keep track of how much I put in my body and make adjustments so that I am consuming a healthy dose per day.