Is Salt Good For You?

Although it is quite true that symptoms resulting from excessive salt intake include high blood pressure and cardiac problems, the problem lies more is in the refinement process of the salt itself than in amount you take in. Just like sugar and white flour, table salt has been highly processed and stripped of the vital minerals that were once there in salt’s original form.

And don’t think that just by avoiding shaking table salt on your food you have eliminated it from your diet. Refined salt is usually in processed food in large amounts as it is a cheap way to make food taste better.
In addition to having gone through a chlorination (bleaching) process, table salt contains hydroscopic (water-absorbing) additives to prevent the salt from clumping. Bright white, free flowing salt is always sure to have additives.

There is one salt that is actually good for your health – seawater salt, natural and unrefined. Sea salt comes directly from the sea to you. It may have a gray color which indicates the presence of many other minerals. We need the vital electrolytes in salt (sodium and potassium) to control water levels in the blood and tissues.

A healthy intake of this highly nutritious sea salt will also aid in balancing blood sugar levels; help with absorption of food in our intestines; act as a strong and natural anti-histamine; and clear the lungs of mucus and phlegm. Natural sea salt brings out the natural flavor components of food and makes the food taste better than ordinary table salt.

You can find sea salt fairly easily today, at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, and even in some conventional supermarkets. Look for the coarser grain and remember the gray color indicates less processing and more natural minerals that will benefit your overall health. Google Celtic sea salt and Himalayan sea salt to learn more about the health-enhancing properties of natural sea salt.