So today let's talk about "Salt" . . .
There are many varieties to choose from, but which ones are "good" for us and which are not?
There's table salt, Himalayan pink salt, sea salt and Celtic salt, just to mention a few. And not only do they differ in taste and texture, but also in mineral and sodium content.
So let's break it down.
First up . . . the most common . . . table salt.
"Table" salt is a refined salt containing about 97% "sodium chloride". It also contains "anticaking" agents such as "sodium aluminosilicate" and "magnesium carbonate".
Now . . . "sodium aluminosilicate" contains, aluminium, silicon, oxygen and water. And as we know, "aluminium" causes inflammation in the body and the "cytokine storm" that we spoke of in a previous Health tip. Not to mention . . . "aluminium" is a questionable cancer and Alzheimer's cause. And "silicon" which is really "silicon dioxide" . . . in 1997 was classified as a Group 1 "carcinogen" for humans by the International Agency for research on Cancer. Does this sound like something we should put in our body???
And "Magnesium carbonate" can cause allergic reactions such as hives, itching, blistering, wheezing, tightness in the chest or throat, trouble breathing, unusual hoarseness or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat.
Okay . . . now some table salts also contain "iodine" . . . which is "vital" for thyroid hormone production. BUT there are many other foods sources that we can get it from because as we know . . . too much table salt in the diet can contribute to "dehydration" and "heart disease". That's if the anticaking agents don't kill us first.
Next up . . . "Sea" salt . . . now "sea" salt and "table" salt have the same basic nutritional value, despite the fact that "sea" salt is often promoted as being healthier. They both contain about the same amount of "sodium" by weight. And with this . . . "sea" salt many times also contains the "anticaking" agents we just spoke of.
Okay, now what about "Himalayan pink salt" . . . this is said to be the purest of the "sea" salt family. It's mined in the Himalayan Mountains and is about 95% sodium-chloride. And as a bonus . . . is contains extra minerals such as trace amounts of potassium, calcium and magnesium. And it is less processed, therefore doesn't contain "anticaking" agents.
And finally . . . "Celtic" salt. It's actually the best salt due to it being lower in sodium chloride than even Himalayan salt and it's higher in magnesium. Celtic is harvested in France from clay-lined beds. and nutritionally this is a superior salt without anticaking agents.
In closing . . . we all know that a high intake of any sodium-chloride (salt) has been found to raise blood pressure, which can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.
So limit your sodium-chloride consumption for optimal health. And please . . . choose wisely!
On the plus side . . . salt (sodium-chloride) in our diet aids in the production and function of stomach acid. It actually stimulates the acid in the stomach which helps break down the food we eat and kill the "bad" bacteria I'm always talking about.
So the good news is . . . we do need to consume "salt". Just make sure it's "compliant"!
As always, feel free to contact me here