During World War II, salt tablets were given to soldiers to help them deal with dehydration in hot jungle and desert environments. These tablets were essentially salt pills that were used as a supplement when it was suspected that sodium levels would be dipping low due to heavy perspiration in the tropical environment. Salt in its natural mineral form is one of the oldest known diet supplements, and formed into salt tablets, it was used by laborers in warm, heavy industrial environments of North America in the late 1800s.

The use of salt tablets is much less nowadays because a massive amount of water needs to be taken in when you use them, and most dieticians recommend an electrolyte-heavy low sugar sports drink instead. Additionally, most Western people have a very salt-heavy diet already and dont need them.

It is important to note that there were other pills given to soldiers during World War II, such as Pervitin, which was an early version of what we know today as crystal meth. However, this was not a salt tablet, and it was used for different purposes.