Is it true that salt should not be cooked because it can be poisonous?
Increasingly, more and more issues regarding health and food are disseminated through social media. One of them is the issue that salt should not be cooked. Many believe that salt can turn into poison when processed and cooked. Wow, is it possible that the salt content will turn into poison when cooked? Relax, here is the full review.
What exactly does table salt contain?
Salt is the largest food source that provides the body with a mineral called sodium. Salt is often referred to as sodium chloride because salt consists of 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride. This salt is a mineral that acts as an important electrolyte in the body.
These minerals help maintain fluid balance, nerve function, and overall body muscle function. Therefore, it is very important to get salt intake in your daily diet, howeverdon’t overdo it. Too much salt consumption can increase the risk of developing high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease.
In one day, the recommended proper consumption of salt is less than a teaspoon for adults. Whereas for children aged 5 years and over, the safe limit for salt intake in a day is half to three quarters of a teaspoon.
What happens when the salt is cooked? Is it really turned into poison?
Salt is a collection of mineral substances. Cooking does not reduce the mineral content in food by a large amount. Even if it is reduced, the number is not too much. Minerals in food that are usually not affected by the cooking process are calcium, sodium, iodine, iron, zinc, manganese and chromium.
Is it true that salt should not be cooked?
Salt cooking will not turn this mineral into poison. As previously reviewed, the salt content is a mineral. These minerals do not turn into toxins or harmful substances as long as the salt is made with safe ingredients, no specific mixture is given by the manufacturer.
Thus, the issue that salt should not be cooked is a hoax that has not been proven true.
When is it best to include salt in food?
Paul Breslin, a professor from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University said that for cooking, you should add a little salt at the beginning of cooking, then add it again later at the end of the cooking process.
When salt is added from the beginning of the cooking process, the salt will immediately bind to the proteins in the food. Furthermore, large molecular bonds will be formed.
However, this large molecular bond only adds to the sodium levels that permeate the food, while the salty taste is not very pronounced. So, your tongue feels that the dish is less salty, finally adding more salt to it until it tastes quite salty. If you have this, you may be consuming excessive salt.
Therefore, the salt should be divided twice. You still need salt at the beginning of cooking and also at the end.
Then, at the end of the cooking process, add enough salt. By dividing this, the food will taste delicious, and prevent the consumption of blood that way.
Apart from the time, you can also process food based on what type of food you are going to cook. As an example:
- When cooking meat, you should add the meat at the beginning. When meat is cooked, the cells tend to close and shrink, making it harder for the meat to absorb the flavor. Therefore, you should add salt to raw meat along with other seasonings so that all the flavors can be absorbed properly in the dish.
- When sautéing vegetables, don’t forget to add salt at the end of your cooking process to get the texture of the vegetables that are still crunchy and not mushy. Salt tends to draw moisture from vegetables. Therefore, if you add it at the beginning, the vegetables will wilt and get soggy faster.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.