Salt has gotten a bad reputation lately, blamed for high blood pressure and heart disease, the fact is even within the health organizations the case has been much of a debate and not entirely proven. Truth be told, “We cannot live without salt. The human body was designed to require and crave salt,” says Dr. David Brownstein
A meta-analysis of seven studies involving a total of 6,250 subjects in the American Journal of Hypertension found no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk for heart attacks, strokes or death in people with normal or high blood pressure.
Studies showing a coloration between heart disease and salt have also had mixed results, Among them, a 2006 American Journal of Medicine study compared the reported daily sodium intakes of 78 million Americans to their risk of dying from heart disease over the course of 14 years. It found that the more sodium people ate, the less likely they were to die from heart disease.
Fears over salt first started more than a century ago; In 1904 French doctors reported that six of their subjects who had high blood pressure a known risk factor for heart disease were salt fiends.
Several years later in the American Journal of Hypertension, scientists had little luck finding such associations when they compared sodium intakes within populations, which suggested that genetics or other cultural factors might be the culprit
Coloration between countries with high salt intake and high blood pressure started to immerge, People living in countries with a high salt consumption—such as Japan—also tend to have high blood pressure and more strokes.
Sodium in salt is actually crucial to our body if taken in the needed amounts. It helps regulate water balance, control muscle and nerve function, and protect from blood clotting to name a few benefits.
The body requires salt to properly digest carbohydrates, salt facilitates the digestive process and sanitizes the GI tract.
That being said, there is some research showing a coloration between too much salt intake and high blood pressure, the controversy on salt is on going, yet that doesn't make Salt Evil in it self, but Over consumption of salt from processed foods and using refined white salt could be the culprit, after all not all salt is created equal.
Unrefined salt should be used instead of refined chemically processed table salt that has been stripped of all its minerals, and use it in moderation too much of anything will cause adverse effects.
Say No for Table salt
Table salt has been highly refined and stripped of all its trace minerals, which would otherwise help to balance the blood pressure, leaving it at a ratio of 97.5% sodium chloride and the rest is chemicals to make it more free-flowing, Ferro cyanide, talc, and silica aluminate are commonly included, aluminum can cause neurological disorders, Talc is a known carcinogen, the FDA has allowed for talc in table salt even though it prohibited it in all other products for toxicity issues., it also passes through a chemical bleaching process adding more to its toxic load.
The blood-pressure-raising effect of table salt can be due to its high content of sodium with not enough magnesium to balance it, due to stripping out of minerals.
WHAT TYPES OF SALT SHOULD YOU USE?
Unrefined Sea salt / celtic sea salt
it is produced through evaporation of ocean water or water from saltwater lakes, usually with little processing, this leaves behind trace minerals and elements.
Why unrefined or celtic seasalt is better ?
it naturally containes trace minerlas and Electrolytes, Many minerals, including magnesium and potassium found in unrefined sea salt have a direct anti-hypertensive effect, counteracting the effects of sodium on high blood pressure.
Sea salt naturally contains selenium, essential to chelate toxic heavy metals from the body. It carries boron helping prevent osteoporosis, and chromium which regulates blood sugar levels, naming just a few of the trace minerals available.
Not all sea salt comes equal, make sure it says, "Unrefined" and has grayish or pink color. White sea salt is just as refined as table salt and lacks all the minerals and nutrients.the minerals in seasalt is what gives it it's distinct color, The colors can vary depending on where it is taken from.
There are some worries about sea salt carrying the toxins and pollutants that we filled our oceans with, this depends on where the salt was harvested; some oceans or seas are less toxic than others.
Here is one of my favourite brands of celtic sea salt, it is pure and unrefined .
Unrefined Himalayan Pink Salt
it is the most pure kind of salt,mined by hand from caves that formed 250 million years ago as ocean salt settled into geological pockets it gets its cheerful pink color from iron oxide.
The salt has a rich mineral content of over 84 trace elements and iron in a perfect ratio and combintation.
It is rich in iodine, and also includes sulphate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, bromide, borate, strontium, and fluoride. due to the high mineral content it is creats a great electrolyte balance, preventing muscle cramps and inducing proper hydration.
it is also used to stimulate circulation, relax the body and remove toxins from the body.
I buy it in bulk and use it in all my cooking and for electrolyte drinks, this is one of my favourite brands
Electrolyte Drink
Our bodies and our cells rely on a certain concentration and ration of minerals and electrolytes to function properly, after a workout or a hot day drinking gallons of water is not going to replenish your lost minerals and electrolysis instead it will dilute them even more, you need to add back the lost electrolysis to rehydrate the body, instead of hiting for a gatorade try this natural home made electrolyte drink.
"Gatorade contains: Water, sucrose syrup, glucose-fructose syrup, citric acid, natural grape flavor with other natural flavors, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, red 40, Blue 1"
Natural home made electrolyte drink
1-quart water
1/2 tsp. unrefined Himalayan salt
Juice of half a lemon
Optional: 1/2 tsp. of honey
