For years, it has been widely accepted that people suffering from hypertension should avoid salt. However, numerous studies and experts suggest that a low-salt diet could actually be more harmful to your health. It’s essential to clarify that we’re not defending table salt, which consists of 99.9 percent sodium chloride. Instead, we’re promoting the benefits of sea salt which, when unrefined, is a whole and living food and provides significant benefits to your overall health.
Negatives of Low-Salt Diets
Renowned integrative medicine specialist W.C. Douglass, M.D., has stated that a low-salt diet can be deadly. In one study Douglass mentioned, seniors with the lowest salt consumption had the highest risk of bone breaks and early death.
The book “Salt Your Way to Health” by David Brownstein, M.D., highlighted another study involving nearly 3,000 hypertensive subjects. The results revealed a 430 percent increase in heart attacks in the group with the lowest salt intake when compared to the group with the highest intake.
Brownstein explained that low-sodium diets predispose people to having a heart attack because of multiple nutrient deficiencies of minerals, potassium, and B vitamins.
Benefits of Sea Salt
Sea salt is only 84 percent sodium chloride, with the remaining 16 percent comprising mineral content. This includes up to 80 minerals (dependent on the brand) such as magnesium, calcium, sulfur, bromide, iodine, zinc, potassium, and iron.
These mineral electrolytes are used within the body much differently than processed sodium chloride. Sea salt doesn’t cause swelling like sodium chloride does, and natural salts from plants can also be utilized by the body for the reversal of disease. Sea salt can rejuvenate your electrolyte supply and re-balance your acid/alkaline levels, significantly improving the function of your body systems.
Over the past few years, many individuals have reported that sea salt (¼ to ½ teaspoon per day) mixed in a glass of water has cured them of various conditions, including Type II diabetes and different forms of arthritis. Sea salt even has benefits for your pets!
Choosing the Right Sea Salt
You can select from various sea salt options, such as Mediterranean, Himalayan, and Pacific sea salt. Each type has a slightly different taste, allowing you to choose the one you like best. When shopping for sea salt, ensure it has not been refined or boiled to produce the crystals. The sea salt should be harvested and allowed to dry by evaporation to be labeled “natural.”
If you’re still concerned about the potential link between salt and hypertension, Michael Cutler, M.D., suggests offsetting the hypertensive effect of your sodium intake by eating foods high in potassium (such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, apricots, bananas, beans, and plain yogurt) and fresh juices (like prune, carrot, tomato, and orange).
To avoid table salt as a seasoning, consider increasing other seasonings to make your food dishes taste delicious. You can use various alternatives such as bay leaf, cardamom, basil, dill, ginger, curry, marjoram, sage, tarragon, or thyme.
The benefits of sea salt are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to natural remedies and cures. Incorporating this versatile and life-enhancing ingredient into your diet could offer a wealth of benefits for your overall health and wellbeing.
