Agreed.. lethal combination!

Just like transfat.. they should ban any added salt.. but that means KFC sales would go down..

I totally agree. After all, if we had no salt at all we would die. I use salt as it's meant to be used, to bring out the natural flavour of the food. Bread is a good example, try baking two loaves, one with and one without salt. The one without will be bland and tasteless in the extreme. It is tiresome going to a lot of restaurants these days and having to add salt at the table because the chef or cook is terrified to season properly because of the salt nazi's. Everything in moderation and most of us will be just fine.^

Early and often! Bugs the heck out of my wife and my doctor.

Remove added salt, and watch mental retardation and thyroid problems soar!

It is useful for something (given that salt added to processed foods is iodized)

My Dad makes a mean steak where his only "marinade" is some sea salt and lemon juice ^

I use it sparingly because I've never been fond of the taste of large amounts of salt, but I don't obsess over the amount. Certain things just can't be cooked right without it, though, especially most baked goods.

Some salt is necessary..

But the ingestion of salt currently outweighs far the needed salt intake..

Salt is naturally in foods already.. but to add more, when there is already too much.. is cause for health concerns..

We get our daily requirement of salt naturally from non-processed food. We have no nutritional need for the excessive amounts of salt added to food.

But a lot of people don't get the iodine that is now in most processed salt- it is not the lack of sodium chloride that causes mental retardation, goiter etc. it is the lack of iodine. Before salt was iodized, there were issues with iodine deficiency in the US, Canada etc, as people do not get enough iodine from their normal diet - and there are continues elsewhere in the world where the deficiency is still a widespread problem.

The only time I add salt when cooking is if I'm making pasta. Otherwise I could easily live without salt in my house. I don't add it to anything else that I cook, and I never salt food once it's done.

When I'm eating out, I use a lot of pepper, vinegar, and mustard, but no salt.

It's not a health thing, though - I just don't like the taste of whatever passes for salt these days (I don't mind "real" salt, but the lo-salt/healthy stuff places are using tastes disgusting IMO).

I guess you didn't mention iodine in your posts prior.. so it is without doubt we do need some iodine in our daily diet..

What other foods are there that contain iodine? Sort of suffering to gain a benefit if we are adding more salt than we need..

Ohhh I so did!!!!

"It is useful for something (given that salt added to processed foods is iodized)"

Seweed is the best source of iodine I know of, it is also in some saltwater fish, milk and yogurt (because iodine is added to the cattle feed I believe) and by the same token, some meat if it grazes by the sea (where it is present in the soil and the animals ingest it), same for veg grown in iodine rich soil (although iodine levels in US soil are far lower than they used to be). As most people don't eat seaweed on a regular basis, have no real way of knowing what the iodine levels are in our veg and meat, especially inland, and many people don't eat saltwater fish that often (especially given mercury scares), iodized salt was seen as a huge advancement to preventing iodine deficiency, and the symptons and diseases it causes.

Seaweed (and anchovies & capers) are good savoury ("umami") flavour providers as well, though. They do a great job in providing that extra flavour enhancement without the same quantity of salt.

Since the daily iodine requirement is only 150mcg and that most processed foods contain no iodized salt, your post stating that the quantities of salt in processed food has a use is rather invalid.

Salt used in processed foods is not iodized. Given that people are cooking less at home and buying either restaurant or processed foods

Iodized salt

Maybe a bit of reevaluation in the diet..

processed food.. I heard its not good, but Emma69 says its good..

Iodized salt.. ok I admit, I didn't know they added iodine in iodized salt.. but this makes sense..

But, that doesn't mean all salt is iodized.. so just by adding salt, and too much of it won't help..

To be more clear.. no salt, and if you can find some iodized salt, should be helpful with the diet..

But I don't know about processed foods.. I heard it causes cancer..