Should you really cut salt out of your diet?

Like saturated fats, salt has earned a bad reputation in the medical industry, leaving many people eliminating salt from their diet in an attempt to lower their blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Unfortunately, most people fail to realize that there are two very distinct forms of salt: refined, white table salt, a stripped or nutritionally lacking form of salt, and unrefined sea salt, a naturally-occurring, nutrient-rich form of salt. Most people also fail to realize that most of the documentation on salt and its negative effects on heart health is based on research conducted on table salt, and not on salt in its organic form.

Why table salt is so bad:

Because our bodies are designed to eat until we are nutritionally satisfied, when we eat a food that is stripped, such as table salt, we will continue to eat and eat until our bodies believe that we’ve obtained adequate nutrition. For this reason, foods that are loaded with table salt, such as potato chips, cause people to eat and eat without ever truly feeling full. Surely you’ve heard the Pringles tagline “Once you pop you can’t stop”…well, Proctor and Gamble did their research when they developed that one. Food companies have known for years that adding table salt to their products causes people to consume more of that particular product (which provides quite a nice increase in sales).

In addition, table salt contains additives such as heavy metals (such as aluminum, a metal that is often linked with diseases ranging from alzheimers to various forms of cancer) and even dextrose, a form of sugar. Many of these additives are thought to be associated with mineral mal-absorption, bloating, joint pain and over time, kidney and heart disease.

Why sea salt is so good:

As opposed to stripped, processed table salt, sea salt contains over 40 trace minerals that are essential for optimal health, aiding in many of the regulatory functions of the body. Additionally, sea salt is a natural antihistamine, helps prevent muscle cramps, removes excess acid from cells (specifically brain cells), balances blood sugar levels, helps the GI absorb nutrition from food particles, clears excess mucus and phlegm from the lungs and increases bone strength.

So yes, you should remove salt from your diet...but it should only be the table salt. For optimal health and vitality, add some organic sea salt to your food (and a pinch to your water). I highly recommend the Celtic or Himalayan brands of sea salt. Generally, sea salts from France or New Zealand are also very high quality.