Salt…

Is is good or bad for you? The media today would falsely have you believe it is bad for you with the reasoning that it makes you hold water, causes high blood pressure and heart disease, etc.

But…what is the truth, the real problem?

As you stand in front of the salt section in the grocery store, it’s mind-boggling as there are so many kinds, types and brands of salt to choose from. You ponder – which one is the culprit? IT IS THE REFINED SALT!

Refined salt is the problem. Yes refined salt – only because its chemical properties have been eliminated by the refining process. It simply becomes nothing more than sodium chloride. The 80 or so trace minerals that are naturally supposed to be in salt, have been taken out by the refining process. The same principle is true in processed foods. So it is the TYPE of salt that is causing the problems. Refined salt has the preservative ‘sodium acetate’ which has been scientifically shown to be linked to heavy metal toxicity, kidney problems and elevated blood pressure issues.

Salt is actually needed in the body to help balance your blood sugar, help keep your bones strong, regulate metabolism, elevate the immune system and much, much more. UNREFINED SEA SALT is the remedy.

 Aerial view of the Great Salt Lake in Utah

I worked for a salt company many years ago –The Great Salt Lake Minerals Company – in Ogden, Utah, which is now owned by Compass Minerals (http://www.compassminerals.com) They removed the salt from the Great Salt Lake by solar evaporation. Once the salt was extracted, the salt was shipped by truck or railroad, all over the United States.

Piles of solar evaporated Salt waiting to be put on trucks to be taken by truck, or put in rail cars to be taken by train, to refineries.

It is interesting that the lake water, in the Great Salt Lake on the north end of the lake, was pink. That was and is due to a certain algae in the lake. Also, the water in that end of the lake had a larger concentration of salt in it. A set of railroad tracks separated the north end from the south end. The color of the water at the south end of the lake was deep, deep green.

The north end of the Great Salt Lake.

This is a picture of the solar ponds. The water was directed from the lake into canals and ended up in, what are known to be called, ‘solar ponds‘. Here the water evaporated and the salt was all that remained in the ponds.

The Morton Salt Company had a refinery on the far south end of the lake (near Salt Lake City). Salt was shipped to them for refining into table salt. Salt from Great Salt Minerals Company was also packaged and shipped to other areas of the country to be used as road salt for icy roads; some was shipped to other Salt Companies who also refined it for use as table salt; at a different stage of evaporation the salt was shipped as potash-fertilizer for the parts of the country that didn’t have it naturally in the soil in which food is grown. Interesting Note: The Potash was shipped to Florida where I now live, in exchange for Phosphate – that Florida has in abundance in their soil, but which is lacking in Utah soil. The phosphate was shipped from Florida to Utah for fertilizing the Utah soil. Great Salt Lake Minerals also made a product from the salt called “Magnesium Chloride”, which was shipped in liquid form, to be put in tanker trucks, and sprayed on dirt roads during construction to keep the dust down. The liquid turned into a hard surface – once it was sprayed on the dirt. Working for the Great Salt Lake Minerals Corp. was one of the highlights of my life. I loved it.

But, to get back to the Salt we consume…

Yes, there is a difference in the health value of REFINED salt vs UNREFINED Sea Salt commonly called just SEA SALT. UNREFINED SEA SALT is very good for you as it helps to balance your blood sugar, keep your bones strong, regulate your metabolism, boost your immune system, regulate and support Normal blood pressure, and etc.

Natural unrefined sea salt also provides the over 80 trace minerals, removed by the refining process, as well as a number of other nutrients that the body can use. I hear it all the time “My doctor told me to restrict my salt intake or sodium.” The patient then erroneously avoids ALL SALT. This can be dangerous to your health, because you are depriving your body of the trace minerals it needs to help sustain the health of your body.

Kosher Salt is, as I see it, is a partially unrefined salt, “so named because it’s used in the process of koshering meats, and has a larger grain than table salt. It usually has no additives, though some kosher salts do contain iodine, which is more commonly found in table salts. Kosher is easy to pinch and sprinkle, making it the choice of most chefs for seasoning meat, fish, and poultry.

Back to the grocery store…use caution in choosing your salt. It must say ‘UNREFINED‘, read the small print as even some sea salts are still refined. There are many varieties of SEA SALT on the market. I buy mine in the Health Food Store. A good one is produced by William Bounds, LTD. I like the sea salt crystals approved for Salt Grinders because I prefer to grind my salt (and pepper).

Legitimate UNREFINED SEA SALT that is nutrient rich definitely is tastier. Use it as a condiment, and to cook with, you can tell the difference in taste.

DO YOUR HOMEWORK – Research and find what works for YOU. You might actually find as I have found, that you will automatically use less salt, but still get the results the body needs to stay healthy.

NOTE: Studies show that if you consume too little salt, it can actually cause Heart Disease.

(I would love to read any comments you might have…share your experiences…leave a Reply)

GOD BLESS your Daily Efforts to improve your Health and Well being!