Salt

Salt - has always been known to be bad but a small amount of salt is not only good but beneficial to your health. It was commonly thought that salt was bad for the heart however this has never been scientifically proven. 

 

 

Sodium is classified as an important electrolyte. It is important in regulating fluid volume and electrolyte balance. A deficiency of sodium can cause symptoms like fatigue, weakness, nausea and muscle cramps. Salt is not all bad if taken in moderation and the right type. 

 

 

Salt is a natural disinfectant and antihistamine so a pinch of salt can be great on the tongue for an allergic reaction, hayfever or asthma. Many people find benefits of salt inhaling or sprayed it up their nose to reduce congestion or infection.There are other benefits of salt you may not be aware of. Salt is important to the thyroid  and salt contributes to balancing cortisol levels. Salt lowers cortisol (stress hormone) and when cortisol is too high it affects the thyroid in a negative way and can influence sleep patterns and anxiety. Due to this salt can also help sleep, where sleep rythyms are disturbed with high cortisol. Another hormone regulated by salt is aldosteone. Aldosterone causes less salt to be lost in the urine and sweat when sodium is low. Although Aldosterone does this at the expense of lowering important minerals like potassium, magnesium or other minerals. Magnesium deficiency is extremely common. However, a little extra salt to lower aldosterone may help magnesium from being lost. I was always under the impression that salt was not great as far as weight control goes but a little unrefined salt consumption can actually encourage healthy weight levels and a faster metabolism. Salt can be warming as it creates thermogeneses and stomach acid is made up of hydrochloric acid and sodium chloride. Proper stomach acid is fundamental for good digestion.  This may be why salt is also beneficial for blood sugar levels and helps improve insulin resistance.

 

 

Unrefined salt is 84% sodium chloride & 16% naturally occuring trace minerals.  Refined salt is 97.5% sodium chloride plus 2.5% chemicals like moiusture absorbants. Refined salt is heated and in this process essential elements are lost.

 

Natural salt helps maintain your acid. Food needs to be alive and full of nutrients for us to gain benefit, if salt has none of the trace elements it is like it is energetically dead.

 

The take home message from this article is throw out the processed refined table salt and buy Real salt, Himalyan salt or Celtic salt. Sprinkle healthy unrefined salt on your food at the table NOT into the saucepan to be heated up in the cooking process.

 

Real Salt

Real salt is an all natural unrefined sea salt harvested from the ancient ocean. It is full of natural minerals and is pink in colour. It comes from the USA (Redmond Utah).

 

Celtic Sea Salt

Celtic sea salt comes from oceans with current. There is worries that this salt being from the sea can mean that it picks up heavy metals and ocean toxins but research has in no way proved this. Celtic salt is slightly lower in sodium then plain table salt.

 

Himalyan Salt

Himalyan salt comes from ancient salt deposits, so very similar to Real Salt. The taste could be a bit earthy compared to the sweeter Real Salt. Himalian Salt comes from Khewra Pakistan. The Pink Himylian salt gets its pink colour from iron oxide. 

 

Finally I do not think you can rely on salt for your recommended daily allowances of other minerals than sodium. In regards to salt Himalayan salt and Celtic stands out for me as the winners in quality salt.

written by Maedy Colenso 2016

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