All of us “in the know” seem to know that table salt is not good for us, but do we know WHY?
Refined salt is nothing more than sodium chloride. I believe the word “refined” is used because there are several important minerals that have been “refined” out! There are over eighty minerals that are missing from your typical table salt. OVER. EIGHTY.
The main reason salt has gotten a bad reputation (and rightly so) is because it contains harmful anti-caking agents, some of which have been linked to kidney problems. That probably has something to do with why your doctor asks is you eat a lot of salt if you have kidney stones. It has also been linked to heavy metal toxicity. One of the preservatives found in refined salt is sodium acetate, which may cause elevated blood pressure. This table salt is also the bad stuff we find in processed foods.
However, our body actually NEEDS salt -- just not the table salt we grew up on. So what is “the right kind of salt”?
The truth is that unrefined sea salt is very good for you. It helps to balance your blood sugar, helps keep your bones strong, regulates your metabolism, and boosts your immune system. Natural, unrefined sea salt provides a number of nutrients and minerals and delivers them in a way that the body recognizes and knows how to use. In fact, it's been found to be dangerous to your health to eat too little salt, and this frequently happens when somebody has been told by their doctor to restrict sodium. They erroneously start avoiding ALL salt, instead of eating truly natural healthy salt that contains all of the trace minerals. You can find over 80 trace minerals in naturally filtered salt water. Also, the naturally occurring minerals in real unrefined sea salt are vitally important to maintaining normal blood pressure. You can find many kinds of unrefined salt at your local grocery store, but it is crucial to check the label to be sure it says unrefined. Some sea salts are still refined (read: STRIPPED of great minerals). So there you have it! And I must say, doesn’t sea salt taste so delicious compared to refined table salt anyway?
Happy Salting!
Janice