Is Your Salt Helping Or Harming?
It doesn’t matter whether someone identifies as a “salt lover” or not, the majority of the world population adds salt to their food on a daily basis. For this reason, it is important to learn the differences between the many types of salt available, as they are not all the same.
There are some people who claim that salt doesn’t provide any nutritional value, and even categorize it as “harmful for your health.” However, there are many kinds of salt available for consumption, and the nutritional value and the impact on someone’s health has a lot to do with the type of salt that one chooses to consume.
SALT IS NOT THE ENEMY
It is no secret that the consumption of salt has gotten a bad reputation, especially in recent years. It is blamed for causing high blood pressure, heart disease, and even strokes. This bad reputation has caused some people to restrict their salt intake, without knowing the other side of the coin.
While it is in fact, not healthy to consume an excessive amount of salt, there is little talk about all the health benefits that salt has to offer and how crucial it is to maintain optimal bodily functions. Moreover, there is not enough information available on how the type of salt someone consumes can make all the difference.
In the book “Nourishing Traditions,” authors Sally Fallon and Mary G, explain that contrary to what some believe, studies have shown that salt intake does not have a significant impact on high blood pressure in the majority of people. Instead, they found that restricting salt did impact people’s health negatively. Fallon says salt deficiency can lead to a loss of taste sensation, cramps, weakness, and cardiorespiratory distress. Moreover, salt intake stimulates the production of enzymes that are crucial for proper digestion.
During an interview with Medium, Dr. Mark Hyman says that patients with heart failure who were under a salt-restricted diet were “85 percent more likely to die or be hospitalized, than patients who didn’t limit their salt intake.”
Instead of restricting salt intake, Dr. Hyman says it is more important to pay attention to the type of salt we are consuming, along with the amount of processed foods that we eat.
As mentioned before, there are some significant differences between the main two kinds of salt that are most commonly used: sea salt and table salt. This could determine whether the salt someone is ingesting is nourishing or doing quite the opposite.
SEA SALT VS. TABLE SALT
To understand the differences in nutritional value, first it is important to learn how the main two types of salt are obtained and processed.
As its name suggests, sea salt comes from evaporated seawater. This kind of salt is usually minimally processed, and therefore, retains trace minerals like magnesium, zinc, calcium and potassium.
On the other hand, table salt is mined from underground deposits and is processed to eliminate impurities and trace minerals. Table salt may also contain additives to prevent it from clumping. Furthermore, table salt tends to look very white as a result of added bleaching components.
While research shows that sea salt and table salt contain the same amount of sodium (40 percent sodium by weight,) it is the trace minerals and natural iodine that make sea salt much more nutrient-dense than table salt.
It is also important to point out that oftentimes, table salt is enriched with iodine, ultimately giving it the name of “iodized salt.” Iodine is indeed a crucial mineral that helps maintain optimal thyroid health, however; Fallon points out that when this is added (as opposed to naturally extracted) it is usually added in amounts that are toxic for the body. In contrast, sun dried sea salt contains an organic form of iodine that contributes to optimal health.
BENEFITS OF SEA SALT
In previous articles, we’ve touched upon the fact that current agricultural processes are depleting nutrient-dense foods from essential minerals, such as magnesium. According to Dr. Axe, trace minerals are still abundant in the world’s oceans and seas, which is where sea salt is extracted from. Therefore, by consuming sea salt we are also consuming trace minerals that nowadays are harder and harder to find in traditional nutrient-dense foods.
Sea salt also keeps fluids in check. A balanced amount of sodium in the body, prevents people from urinating too frequently, and therefore, prevents dehydration.
Moreover, the consumption of sea salt helps increase the amount of hydrochloric acid in the body which is very important for maintaining good digestion and fighting heartburn and acid reflux.
HOW TO PICK THE BEST SEA SALT
According to Fallon, the most nourishing sea salt is the one that is extracted directly from the result of exposing it to the sun, also known as “sun-dried sea salt.” She further explains that this type of natural salt contains 82 percent of sodium chloride, 14 percent macro-minerals, and close to 80 trace minerals.
In the book “Restoring Your Digestive Health,” authors Jordan Rubin and Joseph Brasco recommend the natural, unrefined salt called Celtic sea salt. According to Rubin and Brasco, this sea salt is extracted following “ancient methods” and comes from the Brittany peninsula in France. The Celtic sea salt is high in organic iodine from plants and marine life.
Some other things to look for when it comes to picking the best sea salt is color, texture, and mineral content. Unrefined salts will usually have a color other than pure white (like beige, grey or pink.) Make sure to read the label and pay close attention to the amount of trace minerals and sodium chloride.
DIRECT LINKS TO BUY
Celtic Sea Salt: Click here to buy.
Redmond Sea Salt, Natural Unrefined Gluten Free Fine: Click here to buy.
Redmond Sea Salt, Natural Unrefined Gluten Free Coarse: Click here to buy.
HELPING OR HARMING?
At the end of the day, an excessive consumption of salt can be just as harmful as not consuming it at all. When we eat salt that is in its most raw form, we get to enjoy countless properties that help our bodies maintain a proper function. Instead of saying goodbye to salt because you think it is the root cause of your health issues , ask yourself: “is the type of salt I have helping or harming me?”. Life can be so much more enjoyable when we focus less on restriction, and more on better choices.
There’s a popular saying that goes, “take things with a grain of salt.” Well, next time make sure to make that grain of salt out of sea salt!