Saturday, November 13, 2010

Is Salt a Potential Killer?

Could you say that you are “Worth your Salt?” This is another interesting term full of meaning. Centuries ago salt was so priceless that many people used to have part of their pay in salt. It's mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible (Ezra 6:9) in the context of pay to the Persian king's servants. According to the Roman writer Pliny the Elder, Roman soldiers were paid with salt. It's where the word 'salary' comes from (the Latin word 'salarium').

My doctor told me once that humans need salt to live. A healthy, active lifestyle demands sufficient salt intake. Human life is dependent on the presence of sodium. However, he added “While a little bit of salt is good for you; too much can cause health problems.” Excess salt consumption will manifest itself in the form of “sodium rings” around the periphery of the eye.

When I cut sugar cane in far north Queensland Australia in the 1950s, I suffered from heat exhaustion, and I was told to add a teaspoon of salt to a glass of water and drink it. It certainly alleviated the heat exhaustion; however this frequent saltwater treatment produced "sodium rings" around the periphery of my eyes. I stopped using salt in my food, which was hard for a week, but then the taste buds adjusted themselves and the food started to taste much better without salt.
Unfortunately, by eating processed food like cheese sausages etc, which are loaded with salt; and consequently, we consume more salt than is good for us. Following is an interesting article, perhaps it could help to persuade you to reduce your salt intake. – Werner.
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Your Salt may be Killing You.
By Dr. David Jockers.
Salt is one of the most basic and ubiquitous food seasonings. Historically, salt has been an extraordinarily valuable food preservative for most cultures in the world. Natural salt contains a vast array of essential minerals and continues to be incredibly valuable for our health. Today, modern refineries have chemically altered most salt making it hazardous for human consumption.

Typical table
salt is
composed of 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as anti-flow and anti-caking agents. Table salt is bleached and processed with excessive heat that alters the natural chemical structure and destroys essential trace minerals. Hazardous molecules such as iodine and fluoride are added along with toxic substances like aluminum hydroxide (used as an anti-moisture additive).

This processing takes the "life"
out of the salt making the unnatural sodium chloride and chemical fillers more challenging to metabolize. The body must sacrifice tremendous amounts of energy and up to 23 times the cell water to neutralize the damaging effects of the salt. The inability of the body to effectively neutralize these toxic substances results in:
Unsightly cellulite Rheumatism; arthritis, & gout; Kidney & Gall Bladder stones; High Blood Pressure.

Many people
have turned to sea salts for their regular salt usage. Unfortunately, many of our lakes and oceans are loaded with toxic poisons like mercury, PCBs and dioxin. Oil spills can toxify a lake or ocean's salt stores for decades after the incident. Over 85% of all sea salt producers are using a refining process for their salt production. Based on this understanding it is wise to assume that sea salt can no longer be trusted as a pure source of essential salts.


Pink salts are one of the very few varieties of salts that have remained pure and stable in nature. Natural pink salts are known for their essential trace minerals and their ability to regulate cellular fluid balance. These salts take on their color due to the presence of iron oxide and their abundance of essential trace minerals. These minerals are in a very small colloidal form and inter-connected in structure allowing for easy absorption and a nutrient synergy that exponentially enhances their effect in the body.

Pink salt is often labeled based on its geography. The most reputable type of pink salt is Himalayan Salt although it is also found in Hawaii, Australia, Peru, Utah, and Poland.

Contrary
to popular belief these salts do not elevate blood pressure. Their ability to regulate fluid balance allows them to naturally stabilize blood pressure at a healthy and supportive level for the body. Some of the other benefits of pink salts include:


Promoting blood sugar health
; Energy Production (hydro-electrical); Absorption of food particles; Supports vascular & respiratory health; Promoting sinus health; Prevention of muscle cramps; Promoting bone strength; Regulating your sleep & moods; Supporting your libido; Enhances immune function; Stabilizes heart rate & blood pressure; Extracts excess acidity.

Pink salts
provide a great remedy for asthma and allergy symptoms as well. The salts have a unique ability to unplug the thick mucus secretions in the lungs & stop overflow of nasal secretions when water is plentiful. Taking it as a natural anti-histamine, one can drink 2-3 cups of purified water with a pinch of healthy salts.


Remember
to listen to your body when it comes to the use of these powerhouse salts. Certain body types depend on more salts than others. If you crave salts, you are typically in need of trace minerals. Follow your instincts and use a bit more pink salt on your foods. If you have no craving for salts then only use small amounts of pink salts.


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My thought for today: - Werner “A wise woman puts a grain of sugar into everything she says to a man, and takes a grain of salt with everything he says to her.” Helen Rowland

2 comments:

Beth Allen said...

I found this a most interesting and invaluable posting, Werner, thank you. Unfortunately everything is “processed” these days and often the natural composition is altered and we wonder why there are so many sick people around.

Anderburf said...

Thanks for spreading the word about the importance of salt consumption and using the correct kind of salt. We need some salt for overall health but the salt most people used is terrible for them! My family made the switch to Himalayan pink salt (I get mine from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com) and we all feel better for it.