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Salt Trade (History)
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Hatty
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In: Berkshire
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But since we're on the subject of long, long ago, don't forget that human beings being aquatic apes evolved in the sea and that their chief problem was getting rid of salt. Animals sweat to lose heat but we sweat to lose salt. I expect..

That doesn't quite add up; we need sodium for muscle function and hydration, without it we'd die according to biologists, and we don't seem to have evolved to cope with loss of salt (sweat and urine).

There might be a connection with salt as a natural antifreeze and fish in Arctic and Antarctic waters. Perhaps aquatic man who'd have been constantly taking in salt molecules had a similar antifreeze?
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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My own suspicion is that it was lakes and rivers in which our ancestors evolved. But tomorrow I may change my mind. Nevertheless, the Hippo seems the model.
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N R Scott


In: Middlesbrough
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Just read an interesting article about salt in NewScientist.

One of our five types of taste bud is dedicated to salt, the only one tuned to a single chemical.


Despite a widespread belief that we have an innate liking for salt, this appetite appears to be learned. People living in traditional societies, such as the highlanders of Papua New Guinea, have no access to pure salt and find it repulsive, but if they move to the city they quickly take to it.

[L]ike an addictive drug, the more you eat the more you crave, as salt receptors on the tongue become desensitised by overuse. Once in this habituated state, unsalted foods taste bland and uninteresting. It can take several weeks of salt withdrawal for taste preferences to return to normal.
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N R Scott


In: Middlesbrough
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The article also mentions an indigenous people in the Amazon called the Yanomamo who have the lowest recorded salt intake in the world - 0.01 grams per day.
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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Despite the fact that...
One of our five types of taste bud is dedicated to salt, the only one tuned to a single chemical.

...it is claimed that...
...this appetite [for salt] appears to be learned.


...for which the evidence is...
People [with] no access to pure salt...find it repulsive, but if they move to the city they quickly take to it.

Huh? What a load of shite.

It would appear that one can learn to find repulsive what one would otherwise desire by default!

It can take several weeks of salt withdrawal for taste preferences to return to normal.

Normal? Rather, taste preference changes under conditions of salt deprivation.
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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One obvious thing is that human beings appear to have been designed by nature (ie hairless, sweaty skin) to be able to get rid of salt by the bucketload. In other words, for some reason, Gaia wishes us both to be highly addictable to salt and not to suffer the consequences.
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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Mick Harper wrote:
One obvious thing is that human beings appear to have been designed by nature (ie hairless, sweaty skin) to be able to get rid of salt by the bucketload.


Your choice of words is presumptuous and therefore self-deceiving. We are not necessarily "getting rid" of the salt at all but employing it to purpose.

I note that the most popular flavor of potato crisps in North America is salt and vinegar. The English, of course, put salt and vinegar on their fish and chips. Interestingly, the combination of salt, vinegar and fish is very similar to...
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N R Scott


In: Middlesbrough
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One of our five types of taste bud is dedicated to salt, the only one tuned to a single chemical.

Is this just so we can differentiate between fresh water and sea water?
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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Very smart thinking!

But my answer is "No."
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Rocky



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Ishmael wrote:
Mick Harper wrote:
One obvious thing is that human beings appear to have been designed by nature (ie hairless, sweaty skin) to be able to get rid of salt by the bucketload.

Your choice of words is presumptuous and therefore self-deceiving. We are not necessarily "getting rid" of the salt at all but employing it to purpose.

I note that the most popular flavor of potato crisps in North America is salt and vinegar. The English, of course, put salt and vinegar on their fish and chips. Interestingly, the combination of salt, vinegar and fish is very similar to...

Kimchi, right?

Korea's northern and southern sections have a considerable temperature difference.

Kimchi from the northern parts of Korea tend to have less salt as well as less red chilli and usually do not have brined seafood for seasoning. Northern kimchi often has a watery consistency. Kimchi made in the southern parts of Korea, such as Jeolla-do and Gyeongsang-do, uses salt, chili peppers and myeolchijeot


Maybe they sweat more in the south. Actually, maybe that's not true. It's apparently hard to buy deodorant/anti-perspirant in Korea because Koreans don't sweat that much.
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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Rocky wrote:
It's apparently hard to buy deodorant/anti-perspirant in Korea because Koreans don't sweat that much.


Is that true of all Asiatics?

Perhaps it reflects their biological origins in the North, pace Harper.
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Chad


In: Ramsbottom
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Asians have markedly fewer apocrine glands than black or white people... apocrine glands are the kind that make you stink.

It's the stinky stuff that Ishmael is particularly interested in.

This lack of stink glands is probably part of the generally lower level of sexual dimorphism exhibited by mongoloids (retention of juvenile characteristics).

Kids don't get smelly sweat until puberty.
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Grant



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All explained by our old friend - testosterone. Chinese have less than Europeans who have less than Africans
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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It's not explained by it. It's all apparently part of the same phenomenon.
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Jorn



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There are a number of words that seem to be connected with salt in the Norse language.

If you start with sol=sun, and then make a verb of it, you get sole-soler-solt, that is, salt is something that have been "sunned". (the -t in Scandinavian is equal to the -ed, and means that the action is ended)

This is speculation:
Also interesting is that to sell-sell-sold in English is "selge-selger-solgt". Give, gave = gi, ga, so in stead of barter=bytte salt, or just give it away, you salt-gave it, that is you got money for it.

Then you have sal, like in the temple upp-sala or the Norse name for Jerusalem = iordsalaborg = the earth-salt-borg. The Mediterranean is called Iordsala-hav, the earth-salt-ocean.

Constantinople was called Miklagard, so the Norse seems to have separated these between these cities. Rome, was Romaborg or Romaborgir (plural or borg), so this was not Miklagard at the time the Norse came in contact with it.

Sal also means saddle and large hall, so a Sal might have something to do with how the roof or wall is constructed. It might be that the roof rests on legs like the saddle rests on a horse, that is stands on column-s=søyl-er, like the Roman basilica was a large roofed hall erected for transacting business and disposing of legal matters.
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