One of the most important substances throughout world history has been salt.

Salt might seem mundane, but it's actually necessary for the functioning of life.

For millennia, salt has been used as a preservative, a seasoning, and even a medium of exchange.

Salt is one of the universal things that has remained the same throughout

history and everywhere on earth. Learn more about salt and its importance in human history on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Before I get into the historical use of salt, I should probably start with what salt is.

Salt is simply a chemical compound consisting of one sodium atom and one chlorine atom bound together with an ionic bond.

An ion simply means that each atom is an ion with a positive or negative charge.

In the case of salt, the sodium atom has a positive charge and the chlorine atom has a negative charge. The chemical

name is sodium chloride and it has a chemical symbol of NACL. It should be noted that any

ionic solid is considered to be a salt. This can be confusing because when used generically

salt simply refers to an acl or what we would call table salt. However other compounds can form a salt, which is just something to keep in mind if you ever

hear someone use the term salt in a way that might not immediately make sense.

For the rest of this episode, when I refer to salt, I will be referring to table salt.

Salt, when found in its mineral form, is known as haylight.

It forms crystals and can be mined like other minerals.

Salt is the only mineral that humans can be mined like other minerals. Salt is the only

mineral that humans consume as food. Today most people might only be familiar with

salt as a condiment or a seasoning for food, but salt is actually vital for human survival.

That's right, if you didn't consume salt, you would eventually die.

Salt is necessary for a host of functions in your body,

including electrolyte balance, nerve function, blood pressure regulation,

nutrient absorption and transport, as well as body fluid regulation.

...