Eli5: how did humans get salt before modern means of transportation

Question

The human body needs salt to function properly, but surely First Nations of the prairies, people of central Africa or of Central Europe, from the Mongolian steppes and from other landlocked places, couldn’t have access to salt marshes. So where did they get it from?

In: 146

Answer 1

We don’t need much salt.

We like the taste of salt.

We like the effect that salt has in the taste of food.

Salt preserves food.

But we didn’t NEED much salt.

Rural areas of S America and Africa have low salt intake, about 1150 mg per day, with no ill effects.