Salt–Toxin or Treasure?

Is salt a great boon, or a wily foe? It depends on the source…let’s take a closer look…

Americans are stalked by a silent killer—high blood pressure. Even though hypertension has no symptoms, it can stealthily creep up and damage blood vessels and then finally deliver its knockout punch in the form of a heart attack or stroke.

A simple prevention to head off high blood pressure (hypertension) is reducing toxic table salt intake. One third of adults in North America have high blood pressure. Comparatively, in 80% of the world’s population, hypertension is uncommon. It is no coincidence—their salt intake is very low. In Japan, where salt intake is high, the disease is epidemic affecting about one half of adults.

THERE IS GOOD NEWS ABOUT SALT–ALL SALTS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. Multiple reliable sources place Himalayan salt as the purest salt on earth—it has 84 ionic minerals that exactly sync with the same elements in our body. When feet are soaked in Himalayan Salt solution, magnesium sulfate is absorbed—this brings muscle and joint relief and is great for the skin (assuming no sulfur sensitivity/allergies!) Like Himalayan salt; Sea Salt, and Epsom salt also have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, (though are not as pure or enriched)—these salts are a bargain, and similar in cost when purchased by the pound. (Of course there will be a range of source purity/quality.)

For internal use, it is best to ditch regular table salt (sodium chloride)—it is a chemically altered form of salt that your body sacrifices tremendous amounts of energy to neutralize. This can lead to toxic fluid retention with multiple side effects. Himalayan salt (and other food sources) do contain the essential iodine our body needs. So why not swap out the junk table salt for the health nurturing salt? Sea salt is a much better alternative than table salt, even though our seas are polluted—moderate use with Himalayan Salt combine unique elements needed for balanced electrolyte systems and health.

How do we easily fall into toxic salt traps? Processed and fast foods are a huge culprit—about 75% of our toxic salt intake comes from these sources. Many canned goods have salt contents so high it’s hard to taste the natural flavor of the food. For most people a daily intake of 2400 mg (about one teaspoon) of sodium is safe. (Most only need about 1/5 teaspoon per day). On average, Americans consume 10-20 times more salt than the body actually needs. Little wonder our bodies are rebelling!

Millions with mild hypertension could escape their silent stalker’s assault by simple dietary/lifestyle changes. This could happen in weeks, without costly drugs.

So next time you encounter processed table salt, think about it . . . Will you say, “pass the salt” or will you “pass assault”?

Small changes can bring big benefits. Enjoy new paths to savvy seasoning.

Source(s): Lifelong Health, Drs. D. Hall and L. Axmaker;
Health Power, Drs. A. Ludington and H. Diehl;
Livestrong, Noreen Kassem.

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