Real Salt: The Table Salt and Sea Salt Remedy

In Chinese medicine it is said that the body indicates to the brain what it needs through natural cravings. Unfortunately, science has been able to chemically duplicate or alter foods we crave. Invariably, the results are nutritionally deficient foods that leave the body in a state of constant craving because they do not satisfy the body's needs. Table salt is a prime example. Table salt is a refined, white salt which has been stripped of over 60 trace minerals. It contains toxic additives such as magnesium carbonate, ferrocyanide and aluminum hydroxide which are used to improve pour-ability.

Table salt is approximately 98 percent sodium chloride and 2 percent additives. Sodium is needed for many chemical processes to maintain the health of the body. However it was never meant to be consumed without it's naturally occurring minerals. Consuming sodium chloride by itself requires the body to use more cell water and energy than normal to metabolize the salt.

Some people insist that they need to consume iodized table salt for their health needs. This is not an effective means of getting iodine in the diet because only about 10 percent of the iodine in table salt is absorbed. Sea salt contains iodine but only in small amounts. The best choice to get iodine in the diet is to use unrefined sea salt with a natural iodine supplement.

When salt is consumed in it's unrefined state (such as sea salt) it helps satisfies the body's need for over 60 minerals and does not leave the body craving more salt than the body needs. Sodium works together with other minerals towards the overall health of the body. It is necessary for many biological processes which include proper functioning of the adrenals, nerve stimulation and expansion and contraction of muscles.

In North America the typical diet consists of about 90 percent processed foods high in unnatural refined salt as well as other types of salt such as sodium benzoate, sodium nitrate, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Consuming these foods daily leads to an overdose of toxic salts, which leads to excessive salt cravings.

People who are addicted to salt may fear that consuming table salt will lead to hypertension. This has led many to go from one extreme to the other. But studies show that the risk of high blood pressure is greater with " too little" salt in the diet rather than " too much."

Health concerns about table salt leading to high blood pressure is not the real concern. Daily consumption of processed foods is where the majority of this unbalanced salt in the diet occurs. According to researchers a high salt diet does not necessarily lead to hypertension. Studies have found that only individuals who are "salt sensitive" are in danger of elevating their blood pressure.

Why some individuals are salt sensitive and others are not remains unclear. It is believed to be related to sodiums interactions with calcium, magnesium and potassium. Some health experts believe that it is not so much high sodium that leads to high blood pressure as much as a deficiency in calcium, magnesium and potassium. This would explain why so many people on a nutrient deficient diet of mostly processed foods end up with high blood pressure.

There is no doubt, that natural, unrefined sea salt is much healthier than table salt, but too much of anything can be unhealthy. How do you know if you are consuming too much salt? Just as with an overload of any food the body will have a reaction. Too much salt will cause bloating, dehydration, excessive thirst and may cause cravings for sweets.

There are not many uncontaminated sources of sea salt today. As a result most of the sea salt producers are having to use refining processes which destroy the nutritional content of the salt. One company has discovered a source of sea salt that is completely protected from environmental toxins. Real Salt is a sea salt discovered in an ancient inland sea bed in central Utah. According to geologists the salt that settled to the bottom of the sea became trapped in the earth and eventually rose to the surface near the town of Redmond, Utah. This occurred long before the contaminants existed that plague our oceans today. The deposit is covered by a layer of bentonite clay about 30 feet below the surface which protects the salt from environmental toxins.

Real Salt contains over 60 natural trace minerals which gives the it a unique flavor and color as well as many health benefits. The salt is harvested approximately 300 feet below the earth's surface. It is scraped from the walls of the mine, crushed to size and then sent to the Real Salt plant for packaging.