Why the right Salt is essential to your health

Comparing Table Salt, Sea Salt and Himalayan Crystal Salt

John F. Kennedy once said,

“All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea… we are going back from whence we came.”

As you know, all life evolved from the ocean and just like the ocean, your blood and every cell in your body contain salt and water. In fact, millions of years ago the ocean’s salt water, untouched by humankind and pollution, had an almost identical content and ratio of minerals that exist in your body today. Your body and the ocean’s salt water, as it was in the beginning, contain 84 minerals in what is believed to be the ideal ratio for your body’s optimal function. Each mineral in your body performs a variety of important roles, with the synergistic combination of all 84 minerals forming the foundation for true health and wellbeing. However, depleted mineral reserves in soils, non-sustainable farming practices, and pesticides that inhibit the uptake of certain minerals, mean that vegetables, fruit and animal produce are no longer the complete source of minerals that they once were.

Historically, people would add mineral-rich salts to their diet, but the salt that we add to food today is very different from those traditional salts, which contained a plethora of minerals. Instead common table salt contains just two minerals - sodium and chloride. Not only does table salt lack the full mineral profile that your body needs, but the structure, and the various chemicals that are mixed with sodium chloride, are actually detrimental to your health. Table salt is refined at extremely high temperatures, which alters its chemical structure and bio-availability. Furthermore it is chemically cleaned, bleached and treated with anti-caking agents. These anti-caking agents prevent salt from mixing with water and clumping in the jar. However, they have the very same effect in your body, hence won’t dissolve easily, which frequently results in a buildup of salt deposits in your organs and tissues. But there’s more - the two
most common anti-caking agents are sodium alumino-silicate and calcium aluminosilicate, both sources of aluminum, which is a heavy metal associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other health issues.

Instead of the mineral-rich salt that supports life, common table salt, a refined and impoverished version of the original, is actually harmful to your health. Its use has been linked to conditions including: high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney stones, and stomach ulcers. The body must use a lot of its water reserves to metabolize refined table salt, leading to chronic dehydration on a deep cellular level. What’s more the body recognizes refined salt as poison and tries to excrete it as quickly as possible, causing a further burden on your body’s detoxification organs, especially the liver and kidneys. Knowing the vast array of health problems caused by common table salt, millions of people now avoid salt completely or look for healthier alternatives. However, avoiding salt is not the answer. Lack of salt and all the key minerals the body requires can also affect your health adversely. Linus Pauling, PhD, winner of two Nobel prizes said,

“All diseases of humanity can be attributed to the lack of minerals in our bodies…
You can trace every sickness, every disease, and every ailment, to a mineral deficiency.”

Essentially, every cell in the human body is dependent on the presence of sodium and potassium. These two minerals need to be in constant, dynamic balance so the cells can exchange energy. Your body is constantly monitoring these minerals and working to maintain their delicate balance.

Minerals are also a vital part of your cells, blood and lymphatic fluids. They are critical for all body functions, including muscular contraction, electrolyte balance, blood sugar regulation and pH balance - but you need all minerals, and in a form which your body can readily use.
Many people have started to use other types of salt such as sea salt or Celtic salt. However, while many sea salts may have more minerals than just sodium and chloride, rarely do they contain the full complement that your body needs. Nor are the structures and mineral ratios of sea salts ideal, with clinical research demonstrating that sea salt, like table salt, increases acidity and blood pressure. More importantly, sea salt harvested from today’s polluted oceans has the potential to contain petro-chemicals and unacceptable levels of heavy metals. Furthermore, many sea salts are refined in a similar process to table salt.

But there’s good news! Recently re-discovered is one of nature’s purest and most complete mineral salt sources on Earth. In the remote reaches of the Himalayan Mountains are the mineral salt crystals which were created 250 million years ago. A legacy of ancient oceans, trapped after tectonic plate movement and subsequent evaporation, Himalayan Crystal Salt contains 84 minerals vital for human health. These minerals include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine, iron, zinc, manganese and many more. Additionally, these minerals exist in ionic form, which means they can be easily absorbed. In order for your body to benefit from the minerals you take in, they must be extremely small. Their size is measured in angstroms. As a reference point, a sheet of paper is 1,000,000 angstroms thick. Even though minerals with larger molecular size will eventually be absorbed into your blood, the angstromsized minerals can be readily absorbed into individual cells and that’s where they are most effective. The best way for you to absorb these minerals is in a liquid form of Himalayan Crystal Salt called Sole. Sole (so-lay) is a super-saturated solution of Himalayan Crystal Salt in purified water - providing the ultimate infusion of ionized minerals in a highly bio-available liquid form. The minerals are now small enough to be able to pass into the cells, being immediately available as electrical potentials, or ENERGY. In German, the word Sole, which is derived from the Latin word “sol”, means sun. Sole means fluid sunlight or fluid light energy. More scientifically, this can be explained as better overall availability of electrolytes or charged ions, which conduct energy between cells and improve cellular function. Use of Himalayan Crystal Salt as a condiment or as Sole can lead to electrolyte-balance, balanced blood pressure, improved gastrointestinal function, balanced pH levels and increased energy.

It is important to point out that there are many salts which claim to be the Himalayan Crystal Salt, yet these may actually come from South America, Europe or exhibit a very different mineral profile. The easiest way to feel secure, knowing you have the Himalayan Crystal Salt with the exact mineral combination, the proven research and ultimate health benefits is to ask your supplier to provide you with an analytical profile of their salt which shows all 84 minerals in the proportions indicated in the Water & Salt book; also make sure that the source of the salt is Pakistan and that it bears the official seal of the Royal family to denote its region of origin.

By Carlin Saldanha N.D., MPH
Dr. Saldanha is a naturopathic doctor, nutritionist, herbalist, wholefoods chef, and yoga teacher practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Carlin also holds her Masters in Public Health and has dedicated herself to the fields of wellbeing, health education, prenatal healthcare, natural medicine, fertility, and women’s health for over 10 years.