There are some very clear differences between the available salts on the market. Most importantly are the health benefits! I have suffered from high blood pressure since I was 16, and I restricted my salt intake from that time until January 2015 when I discovered Himalayan pink salt. Shortly after incorporating that salt into my newly healthy, clean diet, and I mean REALLY incorporating it, I was able to successfully wean off my blood pressure medications with my doctor's approval. I have tried many times in the past without success. I have been using the Himalayan pink salt now for a year and a half, and my blood pressure still remains at a very healthy level. I put the salt on EVERYTHING! Fruits, vegetables, smoothies, etc. I can finally enjoy food the right way!
First, let me illustrate what salt is and how it can be beneficial (and/or detrimental) to the body. Salt is a crystalline mineral made of two elements, sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl).
Sodium and chlorine are absolutely essential for life in animals, including humans. They serve important functions like helping the brain and nerves send electrical impulses. Most of the world’s salt is harvested from salt mines, or by evaporating sea water or other mineral-rich waters. Salt is used for various purposes, the most common of which is adding flavor to foods. Salt is also used as a food preservative, because bacteria have trouble growing in a salt-rich environment. The reason salt is often perceived as unhealthy (in large amounts), is that it can bind water in the bloodstream and raise blood pressure. But even though studies have suggested that lowering salt intake can reduce blood pressure by 1-5.4 mm/Hg, there is no evidence that lowering salt prevents heart attacks, stroke or death. The great majority of sodium in the Western diet comes from processed foods. If you eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods then you don’t need to worry about adding some salt to your meals.
Here are the four main salts on the market:
Table Salt:
Table salt is perhaps one of the most common household items and ingredients in cooking. In conventional table salt, the salt is processed to remove all “impurities”. These impurities happen to be essential minerals needed for your body. After this “chemical cleaning”, what’s left is 99% sodium chloride. Sodium chloride which is not in its natural form. As mentioned before, table salt is a highly refined product. Additives may be also added to prevent clumping and better the pouring process. Aluminum hydroxide is sometimes used, which deposits to our brains and is related to Alzheimer’s. The high balance of sodium chloride in table salt makes it easy for a person to exceed the daily intake limit. While our bodies need Sodium for survival, it also needs the other minerals which are removed from natural salt in order to make table salt.
Himalayan Pink Salt:
The gem of the Himalayan Mountains, pink salt, is said to be the purest salt on earth. As the lava and mountain protected salt, it has been untouched for millions of years and not exposed to the modern day pollution. Himalayan salt happens to be 85% sodium chloride, and the remainder contains over 80+ minerals. These minerals can help your body balance your PH, regulate water content, remove toxins, help absorb nutrients, prevent muscle cramping, create balance and more. Himalayan Pink Salt is used in modern cooking around the world, in producing some of the world’s finest food. Known for its pure taste and its unique pinkish hue, the Himalayan Pink Salt is one of the top choices for salt.
Kosher Salt:
Kosher salt was originally used for religious purposes. Jewish law required blood to be extracted from meat before it was eaten. Kosher salt has a flaky, coarse structure that is particularly efficient at extracting the blood. The main difference between regular salt and kosher salt is the structure of the flakes. Chefs find that kosher salt, due to its large flake size, is easier to pick up with your fingers and spread over food. Kosher salt will have a different texture and flavor burst, but if you allow the salt to dissolve in the food, then there really isn’t any difference compared to regular table salt. However, kosher salt is less likely to contain additives like anti-caking agents and iodine.
Sea Salt:
Sea salt is made by evaporating seawater. Like table salt, it is mostly just sodium chloride. However, depending on where it is harvested and how it was processed, it usually does contain some amount of trace minerals like potassium, iron and zinc. The darker the sea salt, the higher its concentration of “impurities” and trace nutrients will be. However, keep in mind that due to the pollution of oceans, sea salt can also contain trace amounts of heavy metals like lead. Sea salt is often less ground than regular refined salt, so if you sprinkle it on top of your food after it has been cooked, it may have a different mouthfeel and cause a more potent “flavor burst” than refined salt. The trace minerals and impurities found in sea salt can also affect the taste, but this varies greatly between different brands. Why not ingest sea salt? Sea salt may dehydrate the body whereas Himalayan salt actually hydrates our tissue! Sea salt is difficult to digest and assimilate for our bodies because it is not At the organic mineral electrolyte size which is immediately usable in our blood and cells. No digestion is required for Himalayan Salt. It is therefore immediately available for use throughout the body shortly after drinking some dissolved in water - unlike sea salt
I have not yet tried the Sole, but it does sound very interesting. I'm always interested in trying new things. :) As always, I really hope this helps you. ~J
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