HealthyNutrition.me

by, S. Steve Dounis

There are a number of fairy tales and misinformation about salt. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is even contemplating regulating salt as a “dangerous substance”. You know, you’ve heard all the hype about salt and hypertension, and how we would be healthier without it in our diet. Baloney! The FDA makes the mistake of lumping refined (table) salt and unrefined (natural) salt in the same category.

Refined (Table) Salt to be Avoided

The only salt you should avoid is refined salt. Why? Because it is a chemically cleaned, devitalized and a toxic substance that has no food value. Virtually all its trace minerals are missing so that it is almost pure sodium chloride. All food-grade salt available in the U.S. must comply with the National Academy of Science’s Food Chemicals Codex Sodium Chloride Monograph. Sounds impressive, as if a guarantee of quality. It is not. The final purity of food-grade salt is between 99.7% to 99.95% pure. “Pure”, in this case, means  the level of sodium and chloride in the salt. Usually, this is 60% chloride, 39% sodium, and up to 2% additives. These additives may contain sodium ferrocyanide, ammonium citrate, and aluminum silicate for the purpose of preventing the salt from caking. The additives are anti-caking agents. NONE of these products provide any benefit to your body.

The most important mineral missing in refined salt is magnesium which balances out the sodium. Magnesium is one of the most versatile minerals needed for over 500 enzymes in the body. It is involved in energy production, nerve function, muscle relaxation, and bone and tooth formation. In conjunction with calcium and potassium, magnesium regulates heart rhythm and clots blood; it also aids in the production and use of insulin.

Commercial processing of our food, removes 85% of the magnesium from milling wheat to make white flour. Refining sugar cane to make white sugar removes 98% of the magnesium. These are some of the reasons most people’s diets are deficient of this important mineral.

A tiny amount, 0.1%, iodide, is also added to the refined salt. Iodide is a compound of iodine usually with a more electropositive element; especially, a salt or ester of hydriodic acid. Next, refined sugar (dextrose) is added to stabalize the iodine so that it stays with the salt.

The Merits of Unrefined Sea Salt

Unrefined sea salt is loaded with 80 essential minerals, including magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride and others. These minerals help to raise the pH levels of the body making your body more alkaline. They aid in maintaing your electrolyte balance. Sea salt has little or no effect on blood presure. It also contains traces of iodine, a nonmetallic halogen element that is necessay not only for thyroid hormone production, but responsible for the production of all the hormones of the body. Iodine contains antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, and anticancer properties, necessary for proper immune system function when present in adequate levels.

The best source of iodine is seafood, especially shrimp, along with fish and sea vegetables (kelp, seaweed, e.g.). Produce and fruits from farms located close to the sea, may also be sources of iodine. This would also include milk and cheese from cows or goats raised near the sea. Most of us do not get enough of the iodine our bodies need.

Our bodies contain about 250 grams of salt. Without enough salt, our muscles will not contract, blood will not circulate, food will not digest, the heart will not beat. But, salt needs water as its partner. They are intimately related. Our body is approximately 70% water. Our brain is about 80% water. Together, water and salt stimulate metabolism, improve detoxification, transport nutrients and aid in keeping the hormonal, nervous, and immune systems functioning at their optimum. Water is key to optimal brain function, as it allows the brain to flush out toxic chemicals. Too many of us, however are often dehydrated without being aware of it. Unfortunately, the end result of dehydration and not enough salt is cellular decline and death.

How much unrefined sea salt you should use in your diet depends on how much water you drink during the day and your overall health. One general rule uses l/4 teaspoon of salt per quart of water you drink. Some may need more, and some less. Use it throughout the day in your cooking and dining, in moderation.

Buy sea salt where it is the only ingredient, without any added anticaking substances. You can always insert a few raw rice grains in the salt to absorb any moisture that may restrict it from pouring out. You can find sea salt in grocery stores, health stores and on the internet.

In Conclusion

Do not risk your health by cutting down on salt. A low salt diet does NOT lower blood pressure. Even in those individuals with hight blood pressure, the lowering effect is, at best, modest. The blood pressure effect of refined table salt can be due to the lack of magnesium which can constrict the arteries and raise blood pressure in some individuals. SEA SALT, contains some magnesium, which is why it usually does not affect blood pressure as much as refined table salt. If your magnesium levels are adequate, salt-eating will have less effect or no effect on blood pressure. Magnesium has a relaxing effect on the heart, which is one reason it is often the first element given during a heart attack.

Sea salt comes from the Mediterranean Sea (Greece, Italy, France and Spain), the North Sea (celtic salt), and the Atlantic Ocean (coast of Brittainy in France). My personal preference is sea salt from the Mediterranean Sea. Salt pans are filled with sea water and left to evaporate to a sparkling white by the sun and sea breezes. It is then washed in more clear Mediterranean sea water. Harvesting ends with the salt being crushed and ground (coarse and fine) without further refining. We are what we eat, so, eat healthy.

October 7th, 2008 | Tags: essential minerals, FDA and Salt, hypertension, iodine, magnesium, refined salt, sea salt, sodium chloride, water and salt | Category: iodine, magnesium, sea salt | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL