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is salt healthy importance of salt
  • Health

Are You Scared of Salt?

Katie WellsJan 24, 2012Updated: Jul 30, 2019
Reading Time: 8 min

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » Are You Scared of Salt?

Chances are, if you follow mainstream medical advice or watch the news, you’ve seen some negative press about salt.

In fact, the low-sodium industry is booming!

Thank goodness that this sodium reduction, along with a low-fat diet and eating more whole grains has so greatly increased the health of Americans over the last few decades…

What’s that? It hasn’t?

Is Salt Healthy?

Well maybe you can see the importance of eating good fats, or why grains are unhealthy, but you agree that too much salt isn’t healthy at all.

And you’d be right… if we are talking about the chemically produced table salt that is added to most processed foods, meats and snacks.

Table Salt = BAD!

Table salt, which is 97% Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is chemically produced, bleached, and devoid of most other nutrients. It also contains aluminum in many cases, which has been linked to Alzheimers disease and other problems in the body.

This type is not naturally occurring and in fact, when salt-water fish are placed in salt water made with table salt… they die.

It is also devoid of the many trace minerals that the body needs … so it is a wise decision to avoid it.

The problem is, that when companies reduce table salt in their foods to make it low-sodium, they don’t replace it with trace minerals and healthier options, they often replace it with MSG and other chemical additives to achieve the flavor.

Different Types of Salt

Unfortunately, many of the studies done on sodium consumption use table salt in the research, so there is now a body of evidence showing that salt consumption is harmful, when in reality, no distinction has been made between chemically created table salt and natural forms containing trace minerals.

If you have any table salt around your house, I’d recommend that you stop using it immediately. Don’t throw it out though… you can use it in natural cleaning and stain treatment. (Just don’t eat it!)

Real Salt = Good!

is salt healthy importance of saltTo the degree that table salt is bad, real salt is healthy, necessary, and good.

While the research linking regular table salt to disease and health disorders is correct, we’ve thrown out the baby with the (salt) water.

Consider this:

  • The body contains high concentrations of many minerals and nutrients, and while it needs water, it also must have the proper concentration of these nutrients in bones, blood, and organs to function properly.
  • A person can’t be given an IV of plain water — it must contain a careful balance of minerals, including sodium!
  • Salt, in its natural form is not only necessary for the body to function, but it is extremely important in the right concentration for optimal health.

While many accept the common belief that high sodium intake leads to hypertension:

In a study of 60,000 nurses followed by Harvard researchers, those whose diet was very low in calcium or magnesium had a 23 percent greater chance of developing high blood pressure over four-years. (source)

Other studies have shown that it is actually proper calcium, magnesium, and other mineral balance, not sodium reduction, that improves blood pressure, hypertension, and other problems.

In fact,

The notion that salt intake and blood pressure were intimately related emerged early in this century when doctors discovered that they could lower the high blood pressure of people with kidney failure by feeding them a rice-based diet extraordinarily low in salt.

Unconvinced, this eventually led to more comprehensive research on worldwide salt intake, which found that:

And in 1989, researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine decided to re-evaluate the link between salt and blood pressure through a study of more than 10,000 people in 52 cultures around the world. Participants ranged from Yanomamo Indians in Brazil, whose diet is almost salt free, to residents of northern China, who eat as much salt in a day as a Yanomamo eats in three years.

Instead of merely estimating salt consumption, the researchers calculated precise values based on urine samples. They took into consideration obesity and alcohol consumption.

Among their findings were that except in a few places with extremely low salt consumption, the amount of sodium in the diet was unrelated to the prevalence of hypertension in a society or to its average blood pressure. Moreover, although the high rates of hypertension in the United States had long been considered a function of this country’s love for salty processed food, the study placed Americans right in the middle of the world’s salt intake curve.

Additionally:

A decade ago, when researchers at the University of Indiana put patients on a low-salt diet, they found that blood pressure went down in about a third of patients, but that in an equal number it actually rose. Dr. Pavel Hamet of the University of Montreal recently studied 200 Canadians with widely varying salt intakes and found that the saltiness of the diet bore no relation to whether a person was hypertensive, as long as the subject had adequate calcium in the diet and was not a heavy drinker.

Many of the studies done on the supposed link between sodium intake and hypertension are used to justify a low-sodium diet, especially in cardiac patients. Unfortunately, these studies fail to take into account the difference between real salt and chemical versions, and the importance of proper salt consumption in the reduction of risk of other health problems like osteoporosis, cancer, arthritis, skin conditions, hormone balance, and nerve function.

If you’ve been limiting salt for health reasons, you must differentiate between chemical table salt and healthy nutrient-dense salt.

Do you Experience

  • Cellulite
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Kidney Stones
  • Gall Bladder Problems
  • Sore or Swollen Joints
  • Gout
  • Fatigue
  • Brain Fog
  • Poor Sleep
  • Asthma or Respiratory Illness
  • Irregular heart beat
  • Poor adrenal health
  • Diabetes or blood sugar issues
  • Poor muscle tone or lack of coordination
  • Water retention, edema or swelling (actually result from too little salt… not too much!)

These are all conditions that can result from too little sodium and trace minerals and the resulting mineral imbalance.

It is important to note that regular table salt can actually make these conditions worse because it will create more mineral imbalance by delivering too much sodium and chloride and not enough of the other necessary minerals.

Through our efforts to remove processed table salt with the low-sodium craze (a good thing to remove) we have created a deficiency of necessary minerals.

Benefits of Natural Salt

The negatively charged ions in real salt, especially when combined with water, support a host of hormonal, chemical, and electrical processes in the body.

Its trace mineral concentration makes it especially supportive of nerve and heart health. (Scary, since cardiac patients are often told to reduce sodium). Some doctors have even had success in improving irregular heart beat and lessening neurological disorders with proper doses of real salt.

Some other health-related processes that salt can support are:

  • Food absorption: Proper mineral balance in food and water  helps the body absorb and assimilate food and water better.
  • Cell Cleansing: The negatively charged ions in real salt and the trace mineral concentration let it cross into cells and pull toxins from them.
  • Blood Pressure: Some evidence shows that it may actually help regulate blood pressure (not raise it) when taken in the correct amounts.
  • Heart Health: The negative ions in real salt help stabilize an irregular heart beat and support electro-chemical reactions in the body.
  • pH Balance: It is alkalizing and may help balance the body’s pH.
  • Blood Sugar: Proper mineral balance from real salt helps increase insulin sensitivity and has even been shown helpful in patients with diabetes. (Note: It is especially helpful with type II diabetes, and while Type I diabetes cannot be reversed, it helps nutrient assimilation and other health factors in patients with Type I diabetes as well.)
  • Allergies: Some evidence shows that real salt dissolved in warm water is an effective natural antihistamine.
  • Asthma and Sinus Trouble: Some patients experience asthma and sinus relief from taking salt internally and from using a salt inhaler. Salt can also be helpful in clearing up excess mucous and phlegm.
  • Improved sleep: Balancing the trace minerals in the body is supportive of hormone processes and can improve sleep quality and duration.
  • Reproductive Health: By supporting natural hormone function, real salt is also supportive of natural fertility  and can improve reproductive health in both men and women.
  • Cellulite: There is some evidence that cellulite is lessened by proper intake of regular salt. (I’ve seen this personally.)
  • Cell Communication: Its pH and ion concentration help improve chemical communication between cells.
  • Muscle Cramps/Tension: The trace minerals and pH in real salt help alleviate muscle cramps (magnesium is also important here). This is one reason that you often see athletes soak in salt water/Epsom salt baths.
  • Bone Health: Over ¼ of the body’s salt is in the bones. When sodium and trace mineral stores are not high enough in the body, it can pull salt from the bones to keep the rest of the body functioning. This can be a tremendous factor in osteoporosis. (Magnesium is important here as well.)
  • Adrenal and Thyroid Health: the pH and trace minerals in salt are extremely important for proper adrenal and thyroid function. If you suffer from problems with either of these glands, increasing salt consumption can greatly help improve symptoms.
  • Nerve function: The electrical properties in real salt help support proper nerve function and communication throughout the body.
  • Water Content of Body: Just as an IV must be in the proper electrolyte concentration to be absorbed, the trace mineral in real salt help the body naturally regulate the amount of water and trace minerals it needs.
  • Sexual Health: The same hormone-supporting properties of salt make it supportive of healthy libido and sexual function
  • Digestive Health: When consumed with water, it can help optimize the environment in the digestive system and increase stomach acid. This makes it helpful in dealing with digestive disorders, heartburn, and other digestive problems.
  • Though not scientifically studied, there are cases of doctors helping or eliminating conditions in their patients with the use of real salt and water, including: arthritis, lyme disease, hypertension, neurological disorders, and skin issues.
  • Eczema and Psoriasis: The same helpful properties make it helpful both internally and externally for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
  • Oral Health: its trace minerals can be helpful for oral health and for re-mineralizing teeth. Swishing with a salt water mixture daily can help improve oral health.

What Kind of Salt is Best?

At our house, we have several different types of natural salt (black lava, Celtic sea salt, etc.) but our favorite BY FAR is Himalayan Salt.

This type of salt is found deep in the Himalayan mountains and contains all 84 trace minerals needed by the body. It is naturally pink or red and has a much milder flavor.

In my opinion, this is the highest quality salt available, as it is from the mineral rich Himalayan mountains and is not affected by the chemicals and toxins that are increasing in quantity even in natural sea salt.

I add this type of salt to almost all of our foods, and even take it plain in water at times.

Other real salts like Celtic sea salt and black lava salt (contains activated charcoal) are also beneficial.

How To Consume It

If you aren’t used to consuming salt, it may be difficult to make a transition back to healthy consumption (though many people find that their bodies crave it and respond very well immediately).

If you aren’t used to eating enough, there are some easy ways you can increase your intake:

  • Add it to your foods and avoid processed foods or eating out, since you will consume large amounts of processed table salt. Salt to taste and don’t worry about eating too much.
  • Drink ½ tsp of quality salt in a quart of water daily to help raise your electrolyte and trace mineral levels. (This mixture is called sole)
  • Soak in a relaxing bath with added magnesium and Himalayan or Celtic salt (2 tablespoons of each).
  • For skin issues: Make a poultice of real salt and water (or honey) and apply to areas with eczema or psoriasis.
  • Make a scrub with finely powdered sea salt and natural oil (like coconut or olive) to use as an exfoliant in the shower.
  • Use a salt board for cooking and curing foods
  • If you suffer from asthma or allergies, try a sea salt inhaler to help alleviate symptoms
  • Use a Himalayan Salt Bar “Soap” in the shower to sooth and heal skin (some say this is very anti-aging) and is very gentle for children with eczema
  • Use a salt deodorant bar if you are sensitive to even natural deodorants
  • Swish daily with a salt water mixture in the mouth for 30-60 seconds. The trace minerals will help remineralize teeth and the pH of the salt will help improve the pH of the mouth.
  • Make sure you are also consuming enough magnesium and other minerals, as most people are also deficient in magnesium. Magnesium will help absorption of other minerals and vice versa.
  • Though it won’t help sodium levels in the body, there is some evidence that a Himalayan salt lamp can ionize and cleanse the air. Either way, they are pretty!

We get our Himalayan Salt at a discount from here, which is the cheapest and highest quality source I’ve found.

Real salt is necessary for so many things within the body and this is one health change that is easy (and tasty) to make.

Our bodies naturally crave salty foods, and many people even crave the beach (real salt plus vitamin D!). Make sure you are consuming enough!

What are your thoughts on salt? Scared of it? Unsure? Avid salt eater? Weigh in below!

Category: Health

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About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a wife and mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

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Reader Interactions

Discussion (111 Comments)

  1. Rachael Steil

    April 30, 2013 at 1:26 PM

    What are your thoughts on soda water or sparkling water? Does that have natural-occurring salts in it? Is this a healthy form of sodium (although I’m guessing it is a very low dose).

    Reply
  2. Emily Stevens

    March 21, 2013 at 1:55 PM

    Hi wellness mama!! First I’d like to say I am so glad I found your website. It’s my new health advice bible. I’m an extremely health-conscious 20-year-old

    Reply
  3. Tiffany

    February 12, 2013 at 5:46 PM

    Hi, I have read articles about himalayan salt scam. Is this true? Some articles also say that some just sell regular table salt but dye it pink and still sell it as 100% pure himalayan salt…
    I have been using a brand called Sundhed himalayan salt. How do I know if it’s REALLY 100% real and pure?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jana C

      June 1, 2015 at 6:53 AM

      Hi, I have read the same article, and it also had me worried. To avoid any confusion and to be 100% sure of the source, I use Real Salt. Company is transparent, there are videos on YouTube from their facilities, inside the factory etc. Completely traceable where it originates. It is also in the USA so has to comply with the strict rules rather than being mined somewhere in Pakistan, an unstable region and poor workforce in my view. I am surprised Wellness Mama does not promote it more on her blog instead preferring Celtic Salt as her second choice. I would not use Celtic as it is from current oceans and they are polluted now. That is my opinion.

      Reply
  4. Marianne

    January 22, 2013 at 10:38 PM

    I love my salt. I regularly use the A.Vogel Herbamare herbsalt as well as Himalayan pink salt and Celtic sea salt. I just bought a selection of Hawaiian black salt and Hawaiian red salt as well as some apple smoked sea salt. I’m very excited about using is and yes, I LOVE salt.

    Reply
  5. Kirsten Cleigh

    January 4, 2013 at 10:40 PM

    We switched to using red sea salt years ago for cooking. We don’t have table salt in our house. I have had the suspicion that my thyroid is under active for some time (Cold hands and feet, low energy) but have never been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I want to try to increase my iodine levels to see if that will boost my thyroid function before I resort to more drastic measures. I’ve read that sea salt has iodine, but only very minute trace ammounts, not as much as a person needs in a day (about 150 mcg. What are your thoughts on how much a person needs?) Does the himalayan salt have more iodine in it than sea salt?

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      January 5, 2013 at 12:45 PM

      I usually just add some kelp powder to something I eat or drink each day to get the iodine, or mix some kelp powder into the salt shaker….

      Reply
  6. Megan Baker

    January 4, 2013 at 9:05 PM

    Can you give any research or sources for this statement “Water retention, edema or swelling (actually result from too little salt… not too much!)”. My husband is in the middle of Congestive Heart Failure and we are limiting his salt consumption to try to alleviate some of his congestion along with diuretics. Unfortunately it’s not helping. We’re not seeing any correlation between cutting his salt intake and his congestion. I understand that the doctors believe the salt will make him retain more water, his kidneys think there is blood loss somewhere (because of the lower blood flow in his system) and the kidneys send more fluid into the blood stream causing more blood to back up at his heart and push congestion into/around his lungs. Anyway, I’d love to see any sources that can help us feel better about “failing” at the salt reduction and not seeing a reduction in fluid retention. Any other reading sources about this? Love lov love your blog.
    Thanks, Megan

    Reply
    • Wellness Mama

      January 5, 2013 at 12:45 PM

      Have you ever checked out Chris Kresser’s site? (just google him). He has a lot of good info on heart health, salt, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc that may help you and he is more of an expert on those topics than I am…

      Reply
      • Megan Baker

        January 6, 2013 at 1:44 PM

        Thanks, I will look into that site!

        Reply
  7. EarthMama

    December 10, 2012 at 1:58 PM

    Hi! We also like to use the himalayan salt! Thanks for all the health info on it! I didn’t know how important it is for our bodies! We get ours from San Francisco Salt Company. They have great prices! We like to buy it in 25lb bags and share with our family. I’m curious to know how you can tell the quality of it!

    Reply
    • Frank

      September 30, 2013 at 8:32 PM

      I’m curious about this as well. We get ours the same from there and I have really wanted to know how much bromide and fluoride are in there. :S It has me a bit worried, but they have darn good prices and customer service.

      Reply
    • dam spahn

      June 23, 2014 at 11:54 AM

      If you get sea salt from the salt farms along San Francisco bay, well, that’s a very polluted bay, although the name does sound cool. Best to start with clean water.

      Reply
  8. MDavis

    October 19, 2012 at 3:59 PM

    I’ve been running from salt for years & encouraging others to do so also. This is very eye opening information. Thank You!

    Reply
  9. Jim Dillan

    October 12, 2012 at 4:16 PM

    Great detailed article. I use Himalayan crystal salt and think if it’s the real thing laid down before we polluted the oceans so much it would have to be better than even Celtic or any other varieties.

    Reply
  10. kstuff

    August 31, 2012 at 3:54 PM

    Silly feds. Did they never take biology? You learn in biology that the nervous system absolutely requires salt to function properly. It’s not like you can just ignore one system in the name of saving another. That’s simply causing more problems. I’m excited to go out and buy some of this real salt. I think my family will love it.

    Reply
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