What is Table salt?
[[File:Selpologne.jpg|thumb|A magnified crystal of salt]] '''Table salt''' is a [[mineral]] composed mainly of [[sodium chloride]] (NaCl). This is a [[chemical compound]], one of many [[Salt (chemistry)|salts]]. Salt in its natural form as a [[crystallinity|crystalline]] mineral is known as rock salt or [[halite]]. When salt (sodium chloride) is mixed with water, the salt dissolves into the water, creating a saline solution. Salt is present in vast quantities in [[seawater]], where it is the main mineral constituent. The open ocean has about {{convert|35|g|oz}} of solids per litre, a [[salinity]] of 3.5%. Salt can be made by either [[evaporation]] or can be [[Mining|mined]]. To get sea salt, man-made holes are built then filled with [[sea water]]. The water evaporates and leaves salt behind. [[File:Slanic_Salt_Mine.jpg|thumb|Inside a salt mine in Romania]] Table salt is one of the few minerals that are eaten a lot by humans, but it can be used for other things besides giving food its flavor. Both sodium and chlorine are needed for all living creatures, including humans, but they are not always eaten in the form of salt, where they are found together in large amounts. Some peoples, like the [[Yanomami]] tribe in [[South America]], eat very little salt. Salt is used to control the amount of water in the body. Salty flavor is also one of the basic tastes. Salt cravings may be caused by not having enough minerals, such as sodium chloride, in the body. Eating too much or too little salt can make health problems more likely to happen, for example [[hypertension]]. When food is made, salt was often used as a [[preservative]], to make the food last longer, and as a seasoning, for flavor. Salt is less used as a preservative now as [[refrigeration]] is used instead and people are worried that too much salt will make them ill.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hayward|first=Tim|date=2023-08-24|title=I want my salt back|work=Financial Times|url=https://www.ft.com/content/465cea17-56b9-4c29-8c5e-56983c852c48|access-date=2023-08-25}}