# salt question



## ship (Jan 16, 2006)

So table salt in reading a label has salt, calcium silicate, dextrose and potassium iodide in it.

What's the purpose of each of the ingrediants, and in general is potassium iodide what is commonly called and linked with salt the iodine known to be with it? 

What's the purpose and link of iodine with salt?

Would salt with out iodine taste different?


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## kingfisher1 (Jan 16, 2006)

calcium silicate soundds like it's there to ward of moisture or keep the salt from sticking to its self but i can't back that up.


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## Foxinabox10 (Jan 16, 2006)

I think kingfisher1 is right on the calcium silicate. I think the iodide is possibly to replace the iodide naturally in salt that might have been lost in the production process...that or they're boosting the level of it because people need iodide.


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## Mayhem (Jan 16, 2006)

The iodine is to protect you against thyroid disease caused by a lack of iodine and this is especially important when the drinking water does not contain sufficient levels of iodine. Approximately 80% of the Iodine in the body is found in the thyroid gland and it is an essential trace element. Iodine deficiency can lead to the formation of a goitre (swelling of the thyroid) or cretinism. It is found in seafood and some dairy products and iodized salt.

As far as I can tell, there is no taste difference between iodinized salt or non-iodized salt (sea salt for example). So I am going to say no to the taste difference.


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## wolf825 (Jan 17, 2006)

Youre absolutely right. Iodine in salt back in the 19th and 20th century was believed to be helpful in preventing goiters and thyroid disease..however it is not needed in todays society for the most part. But its still applied to and sold in salt--cause folks think the salt taste will be different--but it wont..salt is salt...the amount of KI used in salt is so miniscule that taste is not a factor.... Regardless, I use Sea Salt anyway when I do use salt.. 

Also--FWEIW....Potassium Iodide tablets is what governments give to military persons, when they are exposed to dangerous radiation, as it blocks the absorbtion of radiation into the Thyroid gland, and helps reduce radiation poisoning risks... Most folks who are afraid of Nuclear War have a stash of these bottles of tablets somewhere--you can buy them easily....like they or anyone would survive to begin with...or want to in a post atomic wasteland...

grumble grumble... 
-w


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## kingfisher1 (Jan 17, 2006)

the made us by the potasium iodine pills a few years back (i live less the a mile from one of the oldest necleur power plant is the country)


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## Lora (Jan 19, 2006)

Hmmmm...
I have a friend who is a doctor, and he reckoned that we did still need the mineral iodine to stop goiter etc. , and that was a good way to get it, and the reason that they put it in our salt was because it doesnt occur naturally in our soil as it does in many countries.


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## Mayhem (Jan 19, 2006)

You are correct Lora. Unless you eat a lot of seafood or your drinking water naturally contains (or is fortified with) iodine, then your main source will be ionized salt. Now you don’t need to run out and buy salt lick blocks as there is (generally) enough iodine in our diets through salt used in food preparation.

I know that our drinking water has chlorine (to kill bacteria) and fluoride (to reduce teeth decay) but I am not sure what other things are added. Would be interesting to see if drinking water is fortified with iodine.

Interestingly enough, there is a local study being conducted by a dental school to see if water filters and purifiers (that people fit to their taps) actually removed fluoride form the water. I might check with them to see if there are any results yet.

What if your purified water (and some bottled water for that matter) is removing things that have been added to be beneficial to your health?


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## jwl868 (Jan 20, 2006)

The search function and the internet have taken some of the fun out of finding the answers to questions like these. As noted, the addition of iodide to table salt appears to have been a public health type action. As for the iodide pills doled out near nuclear plants and other potential exposure situations, I think one of the common by-products of nuclear reactions (and that would be present in a release) is a radioactive isotope of iodine that can be readily taken up by the body (or maybe just the thyroid gland). Taking the iodine tablets "saturates" (so to speak) the human body with iodine so that the radioactive iodine is not adsorbed, thus reducing exposure to radioactivity from that particular source. However, the tablets do not afford any other general protection from radioactivity or other radioactive isotopes. 

I think that fluoride is the only additive in the US drinking water as a part of an overall public health program. However, there are some US public water suppliers that still refuse to fluoridate. There is a great deal of controversy on the subject; I've never investigated the health issues of fluoridation much further although plenty of documentation can be found. (And the subject always reminds me of the General Ripper character in Dr. Strangelove.)

On the other hand, chlorination isn't all its cracked up to be. Great disinfectant, but chlorine reacts with the miscellaneous organic material in water (particularly found in surface water sources) to generate a number of hazardous disinfection byproducts (DBPs). For more information, see:

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/mdbp/dbp1.html


Joe


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## CHScrew (Jan 20, 2006)

Because that's the way it is.


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## kingfisher1 (Jan 21, 2006)

i drink from well water, untreated ( i love it, it's likeing drinking poland springs w/o paying for it, make you feel supeirior to all your city water drinking neighbors....) for floridue i get two floride treatment a year from my dentist/ dad. he says that thats the more effective way to protect your teeth but it's not nessasary if you have flourinated h2o.


Back to salt: salt for cooking is very intersting. Cheffs make a big deal distinguishing between table salt and kosher salt. kosher salt's big crystal help poke tiny holes in foods. this aration is some how benifitial to some recipes

i also find it interesting that salt was worth its weight in gold in africa around the 1400. would that be a nice thing today!


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