The Benefits of Sole Water

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Health » The Benefits of Sole Water

In our modern American diet, we’re told that salt is bad and we should avoid it at all costs. But the truth is it’s not the villain it’s often made out to be! It turns out that it’s actually very beneficial to our bodies. There’s some age-old evidence that consuming the right kind of salt daily (unprocessed and unrefined) can be very beneficial for our health. That’s why I love to make sole water!

By increasing salt intake, you provide your body with key electrolytes needed to help it run smoothly. While eating salt is great, sometimes I find it hard to get enough of it on my food without it tasting too salty.

If you want to increase hydration and electrolytes to support your health and wellness, give sole water a try! It’s easy to make and requires just two ingredients.

What is Sole Water?

Sole (pronounced so-lay) is water that’s fully saturated with unrefined salt. Often made with pink Himalayan salt, this concentrated salt water is a great way to increase your electrolytes.

Many people add salt to their water for its health benefits. Sole water isn’t the same as drinking water with salt. It’s water that has fully absorbed the maximum amount of salt (26% actually…. thanks, high school chemistry!). Think of sea water and that’s similar to sole.

While drinking salt in your water is a good practice, sole gives you more electrolytes. We lose electrolytes when we sweat or fast. It’s a great way to replenish these minerals because it provides sodium along with magnesium, calcium, iron, and potassium in trace amounts.

The type of salt you use is key! Regular table salt is overly processed. Manufacturing strips it of many vital minerals. Factories often bleach and add chemicals to the salt to keep it from clumping. You’ll need unprocessed natural salt (Himalayan, Remond, or Celtic sea salt) to make sole.

Why Drink Sole Water?

The health experts have told us for years that salt can be harmful, so drinking salt water may sound counterintuitive. However, multiple studies show drinking seawater (also concentrated salt water) can have a variety of health-supporting benefits. Some countries have used sole for centuries. I drink sole water every day but especially when I’m active (and sweating!) or when I’m fasting.

It’s interesting to note that the conventional recommendation for many of these problems includes removing excess salt from the diet. Table salt can certainly have a negative effect and is best avoided. However, natural salt is less processed and contains trace minerals that aren’t in table salt. Natural salt is incredibly nourishing for the body.

Sole Water Benefits

  • Helps Hydration – Our body is made of salt water. During sleep, the body naturally repairs and detoxifies. It uses a good amount of water in the process. Consuming sole first thing in the morning helps the body rehydrate.
  • Helps the Body Detoxify – People have used salt for centuries to preserve food. It’s also used as an anti-inflammatory mouth rinse. Because of its antibacterial properties, water made with salt can be useful for the body’s natural detoxification.
  • Improves Sleep – Research shows that a diet low in sodium disturbs sleep. Adding sole to your daily routine boosts sodium and other mineral levels that help you sleep.
  • Boosts Energy – The minerals in sole help boost energy throughout the day. A 2019 study shows that people who had higher sodium intake had more energy.
  • Improves Digestion – A 2020 randomized control group found that drinking salt water stimulates the digestive system. This promotes food absorption and naturally relieves constipation.
  • Regulates Heart Rate – Low sodium diets interfere with the heart’s electrical signals, increasing the risk of irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmias.
  • Improves Blood Sugar – Research shows that a high-salt diet enhances insulin regulation, while a diet low in salt increases insulin resistance. Some people note improved blood sugar levels after using sole.
  • Natural Antihistamine – Salt is a powerful natural antihistamine. This action is likely due to its balancing effects on the body, and I’ve noticed this personally.
  • Relieves Muscle Cramps – Since drinking sole regularly and using magnesium, I don’t get leg cramps anymore, even after extreme exercise or during pregnancy. A 2022 review of 8 studies on consuming salt water showed faster recovery after exercise and also improved performance.
  • Weight Loss – By improving digestion and nutrient absorption and increasing hydration, sole can help promote weight loss.

Sole is an inexpensive addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle, and it’s incredibly easy to make.

How Do I Make Sole?

As sole is simply salt and water, the quality of the salt is extremely important. While typically made with pink Himalayan salt, you can also use Redmond Salt or Celtic Sea Salt. These unprocessed natural salts all have roughly the same amount of trace minerals, such as magnesium and potassium.

Ayurvedic practices often use Himalayan salt to balance the body’s doshas (energies). You want to make sure to use unprocessed, natural salt.

I like to use mostly Himalayan salt, with a small amount of Redmond Salt or Celtic Salt added. Redmond Salt has the mildest flavored salt of the three, so if you’re new to sole water, that’s an easy one to start with.

Sole_Water

Sole Water Recipe

Sole water is saturated with natural salt minerals. It’s great for digestive health, leg cramps, hydration, sleep, and more.
Prep Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Author Katie Wells

Servings

192 teaspoons

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fill the glass jar about ¼ of the way full with Himalayan salt, Celtic sea salt, or Real Salt, or a mixture of the three.
  • Add filtered water to fill the jar, leaving about an inch at the top.
  • Put on the plastic lid and shake the jar gently.
  • Leave on the counter overnight to let the salt dissolve.
  • If there is still some salt on the bottom of the jar the next day, the water has absorbed the maximum amount of salt, and the sole is ready to use.
  • If all of the salt is absorbed, add more salt and continue doing so each day until some remains on the bottom. This means the water is fully saturated with salt.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Sole Water Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 tsp)
Calories 0
% Daily Value*
Sodium 589mg26%
Potassium 0.1mg0%
Calcium 0.4mg0%
Iron 0.01mg0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

  • To use: Mix 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of the sole into a glass of water and drink every morning on an empty stomach. Do not use any metal utensils to measure or stir.
  • Salt water is highly corrosive so avoid using metal utensils or a metal lid so it doesn’t oxidize.

How to Use Sole

After making the mixture, store it at room temp. It will last indefinitely as salt is naturally antibacterial and antifungal. Add more water and salt as needed to keep up the amount in the jar. Just watch to make sure there are salt crystals at the bottom of the jar after letting it sit overnight. That means the water has fully absorbed the salt. If there aren’t any extra crystals, add more salt and let it sit overnight again.

To drink, add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon to a glass of water each morning and drink on an empty stomach. Don’t add more, especially when first starting! If this causes a detox reaction or headache, work up slowly. You could also try adding lemon to your water to make it more palatable.

Sole Water Side Effects

When first starting, sole could make you nauseous. If that’s the case, try starting with less. Although it works best when consumed on an empty stomach, you can also add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon to 32 ounces of water and drink it throughout the morning.

Sole can also irritate the stomach or cause diarrhea. If this happens, stop taking it for a few days until your symptoms clear up. If you want to try again, start slowly with a small amount and work your way up.

Who Can Drink Sole?

If you have kidney stones or disease or high blood pressure sole water may not be a good option. Conventional advice says adding more salt to your diet with these conditions could make it worse. However, there is some evidence that says otherwise. If you have these conditions check with your natural healthcare practitioner before consuming sole. 

Have you ever made sole water? How did you like it? Share below!

Sources
  1. Collins, J. et al. (2021). Anti-inflammatory effect of salt water and chlorhexidine 0.12% mouthrinse after periodontal surgery: a randomized prospective clinical study. Clinical oral investigations, 25(7), 4349–4357.
  2. Vitiello, M. V., Prinz, P. N., & Halter, J. B. (1983). Sodium-restricted diet increases nighttime plasma norepinephrine and impairs sleep patterns in man. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism56(3), 553–556.
  3. Othman, F., et al. (2019). Factors Associated with High Sodium Intake Assessed from 24-hour Urinary Excretion and the Potential Effect of Energy Intake. Journal of nutrition and metabolism2019, 6781597.
  4. Takeuchi, H., et al. (2020). Drinking Refined Deep-Sea Water Improves the Gut Ecosystem with Beneficial Effects on Intestinal Health in Humans: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial. Nutrients12(9), 2646.
  5. Ogihara, T., et al. (2002). High-salt diet enhances insulin signaling and induces insulin resistance in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)40(1), 83–89.
  6. Garg, R., et al.(2011). Low-salt diet increases insulin resistance in healthy subjects. Metabolism: clinical and experimental, 60(7), 965–968.
  7. Aragón-Vela, J., et al. (2022). Physiological Benefits and Performance of Sea Water Ingestion for Athletes in Endurance Events: A Systematic Review. Nutrients14(21), 4609.

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a 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.

Comments

682 responses to “The Benefits of Sole Water”

  1. Sara Avatar

    Wellness Mama,
    Do tell: Why are bananas the only food that you don’t eat? What’s wrong with them that makes the worse than gluten, and all the other things we are advised to stay away from?

  2. Jessica Avatar

    Do you use a quart size jar to make this? I did with a cup of Himalayan salt and only half dissolved…
    Thanks

  3. Dawn Avatar

    Is using potassium chloride ok? My holistic dr put me on nu-salt some months ago and I haven’t been using any other salt? Thanks

  4. Gabby Avatar

    Could I add freshly squeezed lemon to my morning glass or should I keep it strictly the salt water? Thanks!

  5. Adrian Avatar

    Hello,

    I always appreciate articles that want to help people empower their lives, but with all due respect, some proper work should go into them. On reading this article, I see the claimed health benefits have no substance to the explanations and it’s like a list of benefits taken just out of nowhere.

    I do take sole water and I keep up with up to date evidence in natural sources like this, and precisely for this reason I think it’s extremely important to not just say sole water has these benefits and period, but rather give some sources out of where you claim those.

    Best,

  6. Laura Avatar

    In your article you stated to ‘start with 1 tsp and not to add more, especially when starting off.’ Is there a higher level we need to be working up to? Thanks!

  7. Daniel Avatar

    I previously stated that I had quit sole, because of my blood pressure. Within a week, my pressure was low normal, as it had previously been, so I decided to play with the use of sole. I still brush my teeth with baking soda, but less, and I gargle with sole, but under half what many recommend. I drink sole, but half a teaspoon instead of one teaspoon in the morning. Come cooler weather, I may have to alter my intake again, but that is being aware of one’s body.

  8. Julie Avatar

    Hi Katie,
    I’ve been adding baking soda to my morning glass of sole. Do you think that’s okay?
    Love your website:)

  9. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    I’ve been drinking Sole each morning and really enjoying it. I was wondering why it is recommended to avoid metal utensils with it. And secondly, what would you do if you forgot and used a metal measuring spoon one morning when adding the sole to your water…?

    Thanks!

  10. Sarah Avatar

    Hi. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to simply add an equivalent amount of salt to a glass of water? I’m sure someone could calculate the correct proportions

  11. Paige Babikian Avatar
    Paige Babikian

    I accidentally refrigerated it overnight after I made my first bottle. Is that ok?

    1. Ann Avatar

      Katie,
      I have made 2 batches of this – and after several days the glass jar cracks, just hairline cracks but enough so the liquid seeps out of the jar. I am using Ball canning glass jars & the pink Himalayan salt. The first time it happened, I assumed it was a defective jar. Now I am not so sure?? Am I doing something wrong??

  12. Katy Jones Avatar
    Katy Jones

    I just want to say I used to follow you everyday until a few years ago I went through a horrible divorce and life was basically just survival and now I’m finally at a place to get to where I want to be and you pop up on something I’m intrigued by. Finding you again made me realize where I need to be 🙂

  13. Daniel Avatar

    I began sole about 5 years ago. I’ve enjoyed it, but my blood pressure soared. I didn’t associate it with sole until recently. I’m vegan, and live a healthy lifestyle. I walk 7.25 – 12.5 miles a day. My blood pressure would never vary, until I decided to completely stop sole yesterday. This morning, my blood pressure, for the first time in 5 years, is down to normal, instead of sky high. Be very attentive if you use sole, and your blood pressure goes high. I have done everything correct to have low pressure, but quitting sole was the answer.

    1. Lisa Avatar

      Hey Daniel, you might want to increase your intake of coconut products.. especially the oil. Minerals need saturated fats to be absorbed and utilized by the body 🙂 And coconut is the best vegan friendly version of it.

  14. Julie Avatar

    If you already answered this, I apologize. How do you pronounce Sole?

    1. Karryn Avatar

      Why don’t you want Sol to come in contact with metal? Are you worried about oxidation (rust)? Would stainless steel lids and measuring devices alleviate this concern?

  15. Kent Avatar

    What size glass of water in the morning and how long should you wait before eating breakfast?

  16. CJ Shock Avatar
    CJ Shock

    Ugh! I touched the water with a spoon for about 2 seconds. Does this seriously ruin it? And if so, HOW? I do not understand….

  17. Bonnie Mandell-Rice Avatar
    Bonnie Mandell-Rice

    My sodium levels already are a bit high and out of balance with other minerals in my body. Won’t taking sole make the imbalance worse and increase the sodium levels of my body? Is t his safe for people with high blood pressure?

  18. Tracey Avatar

    Good morming. Can you please advise on what size of jar, 8oz, pint or quart? 500+ comments and the majority way off topic.

    Thank you

5 from 2 votes

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