How is salt substitute used? What is its composition, what useful properties does the product have and are there any contraindications to its use? Recipes for vitamin dishes with salt substitute.
Salt substitute is an analogue of common table salt (sodium chloride NaCl). It is actively used by people who lead a healthy lifestyle, adhere to the correct diet or are forced to reduce their consumption of traditional salt due to health problems. This type of spice is considered an absolutely natural product and does not contain flavor enhancers, flavors and dyes. The seasoning perfectly complements various appetizers, first and second courses. It is almost impossible to oversalt with it. However, healthy people should not overuse the spice. What are the benefits and harms of salt substitutes?
Composition and calorie content of salt substitute
Salt substitutes is the collective name for a range of spices with minimal or no sodium chloride. Such condiments can be used medicinally and dispensed with a doctor's prescription, prophylaxis, and as a dietary supplement.
The salt substitute contains the following ingredients:
- Various phytocompositions - a mixture of aromatic spices such as ground pepper, leeks, basil and more;
- Common table salt or NaCl - about 50% (optional, in some products it is not used);
- Salts of some chemical elements (K, I and Mg) - no more than 30% in the total mass;
- Some of the trace elements: iron (Fe), silicon (Si), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), etc.
The mass of the listed microelements is measured by the manufacturer according to strict rules - it should not exceed the daily norm for a person. Depending on the composition of the spices, the salt substitute can have a different taste and color.
Not every manufacturer makes a product containing all of the ingredients listed. Recipes can vary, so if you have any particular preference for this, read the label carefully before purchasing.
The calorie content of salt substitute per 100 g is 0.01 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 0 g;
- Fat - 0 g;
- Carbohydrates - 0 g.
Energy ratio b / w / y: 0%: 0%: 0%.
On a note! A standard package of salt substitute contains 100 g of the product.
Useful properties of salt substitute
For many years in Russia, salt has been consumed in excessive doses exceeding the norm. This is evidenced by official statistics. It is necessary to reduce to a minimum the use of "white death" for people with diseases of the cardiovascular system, kidneys, gall bladder and more. For the listed categories of the population, salt substitute is a real salvation.
What about healthy people? For them, a substitute for table salt can also be useful, but in limited quantities. A healthy body cannot be completely deprived of table salt. It is necessary to stimulate the production of gastric juice, which in turn optimizes the functioning of the nervous system and promotes accelerated fat metabolism.
The benefits of salt substitute are expressed in its following properties:
- It removes excess sodium from the body and improves water-salt metabolism - for this, the spice contains a lot of magnesium and potassium.
- It has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, nails and hair - this is facilitated by numerous trace elements such as potassium, magnesium, iron, etc.
- Strengthens the immune system and memory - this effect has on the body dried basil, which is present in most types of salt analogues.
- Contributes to a decrease in body weight - a salt substitute is often prescribed during a diet, it removes excess water from the body, due to which a person loses weight.
To reap the benefits of a medicated seasoning, and not harm your body, read the way to use it on the label. In the description of the product, the manufacturer must indicate how many grams of spice a person can use per day.
Contraindications and harm of salt substitute
Many consumers do not think about the dangers of salt substitute. They claim that the spice is so tasty and aromatic that you want to add it to every dish. This is its danger - it is quite easy to overdo it with such salt, adding it to food during breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Excessive use of spices can provoke undesirable consequences - in healthy people, this can lead to a violation of the water-salt balance, which in most cases provokes the development of a number of heart diseases
In this regard, the following categories of consumers should use the salt substitute with particular care:
- minor children;
- people with exacerbated gastritis;
- pregnant and lactating women;
- suffering from intestinal infections.
Salt substitutes should not be used for preserving blanks for the winter - during heat treatment they lose some of their medicinal properties, and preservation due to spices can deteriorate.
In some cases, a spice can cause allergies if a person has an individual intolerance to one of the spices included in the product.
On a note! Many of the foods we buy every day in stores and supermarkets are naturally high in salt. Therefore, using salt substitute for home cooking, you do not exclude the ingestion of ordinary salt into your body. If your doctor has advised you to minimize your intake, be vigilant and read the composition of the product when you buy it in the store.
Salt Recipes
Salt substitutes are recommended to be added only to finished products, that is, before their direct use. The fact is that when cooking, frying and baking products, many vitamins and minerals evaporate from them. The same thing happens with medicinal spices that replace salt.
The analogs of salt contain a lot of nutrients that must enter the human body in full in order to have a medicinal effect on it. When the seasoning is heat treated, it will not be possible to achieve the maximum therapeutic effect.
Salt substitute is a spice that can be added to both first and second courses. This seasoning is not used in baking, because, as mentioned earlier, during heat treatment, it loses some of its useful properties.
An analogue of table salt was created for people who monitor their health or are struggling with certain diseases. Therefore, we present to your attention 2 vitamin salads that can be seasoned with a more useful analogue of salt:
- Chicken salad … Mix 2 tbsp. l. honey with 1 tbsp. l. coarse mustard. Wash two chicken fillets, dry, rub with black pepper (to taste) and honey-mustard sauce. Grill the meat until cooked through. Cut it into thin slices. Add chopped lettuce and 100g cherry tomatoes to the meat (you can cut them into halves or quarters). In a separate bowl, beat 1 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar with 2 tbsp. l. olive oil and a few grams of salt substitute. Season salad with the resulting mixture. Bon Appetit!
- Spring vitamin salad … Chop half a cabbage as small as possible. Chop the dill and young onions (1 medium bunch each). Combine all chopped ingredients and sprinkle with salt substitute. After that, you need to mash the cabbage with your hands so that it starts up the juice, then the salad will come out tastier. Chop 3 boiled eggs into large pieces. Cut 10 pieces of radish into several pieces and crush the pieces with a heavy object (for example, the bottom of a cup). If your radish is young and has fresh leaves, they can also be added to a salad. Chop 4 cucumbers. Combine all prepared ingredients and season with hearty sauce. To make the sauce, mix 4 tbsp. l. sour cream with 2 tbsp. l. sunflower oil and 1 tsp. horseradish (you can replace horseradish with mustard). The finished salad can be slightly salted with a healthy seasoning and pepper. It's important to eat it as soon as possible after cooking. This will keep the maximum amount of vitamins in it.
Salt substitutes overview
You can buy salt substitutes at a pharmacy or in a specialty store. The most popular brands of medicinal spices:
- Vkusville … A brand that produces phytomineral analogs of salt with the following composition: sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium ions and ground spices (green pepper, bay leaf, basil, marjoram and many others). Such a seasoning is able to prevent swelling, optimize heart function, and regulate blood glucose levels. Rich in nutrients. The average cost is 130 rubles (55 hryvnia).
- Sanasol … Therapeutic salt substitute for hypertensive patients and other categories of consumers. Fights a decrease in the level of potassium in the body. It can be used to enhance the taste of ready-made meals. The bulk of Sanasol is potassium chloride (potassium salt of hydrochloric acid), potassium citrate (salt of potassium and citric acid), potassium gluconate (calcium salt), ammonium chloride (ammonia) and several auxiliary elements. On average, the cost of Sanasol is 128 rubles (52 hryvnia).
- Micm … The abbreviation of the manufacturer of the phyto-mineral complex "Salt of Life" and at the same time the name of the salt substitute, which is part of the phytocomplex. The company makes spices for people on a salt-free diet. The product is 50% table salt. The rest of the spice is made up of various macronutrients useful for the human body, as well as magnesium and potassium salts. Recommended for both healthy people and hypertensive patients, patients suffering from ischemia, diabetes mellitus and a number of other diseases. It is advisable to season food with salt substitute before its direct use, on a plate. The cost of the spice may vary depending on its composition. In most cases, you can buy "The Salt of Life" for 128 rubles (52 hryvnia)
- Spicy garlic salt "Home Kitchen" … A universal spice for any dish. Consists of sea salt and a set of dried spices (garlic, basil, wild garlic and more). Refers to dietary products rather than medicinal ones. However, it does not contain table salt, therefore it is suitable for people with various diseases of the heart and kidneys. On average, a seasoning can be purchased for 79 rubles (33 hryvnia).
- Solena … Treatment and prophylactic product. Helps to combat edema and hypertension, in some cases it has a beneficial effect on the liver and kidneys. The composition contains potassium chloride, table salt, magnesium sulfate and iodine. The average price is 154 rubles (65 hryvnia).
Interesting facts about salt substitute
There are salt substitutes that contain an amino sugar called chitosan. It is this ingredient that often confuses vegetarians. Indeed, many of them cannot even think that chitosan is obtained from the shells of crustaceans.
The world saw the first salt substitutes at the end of the fifties of the last century. Then the composition of the combined spice included table salt and potassium chloride. But healthy salt gained popularity only 30 years after its invention. In the 80s, special studies were carried out that proved that salt substitutes are useful for hypertensive patients, because they contribute to the removal of excess salt and water from the body, thereby reducing the load on the heart.
How to use a salt substitute - watch the video:
In thematic magazines and forums dedicated to healthy food, you can find extremely positive reviews about salt substitutes. These seasonings not only have a beneficial effect on the human body, but also make the dishes original, aromatic with a memorable taste. At the same time, doctors advise healthy people not to abuse this type of spice. Table salt should not be completely discarded unless it is necessary. Regular intake of salt substitutes is necessary for people who are shown a salt-free diet.
