Should you avoid salt? And what role do minerals play in the body?
Salt is one of those “bad words” in the health community, right along with saturated fat (or fat altogether depending on who you’re talking to) and sugar. Many processed foods boast a low salt label, in an attempt to convince shoppers that their product is healthy.Most of the research promoting salt regulation is based around studies using iodised table salt. You know, the laboratory manufactured, white, finely granulated salt that cost about $3 a pound. This cheap salt is pure sodium (with a bit of iodine and anti-moisture agents), and completely devoid of trace minerals and can no doubt lead to health problems. Natural salt on the other hand, whether found in a cave in the Himalayan mountains, or in the seas of Scotland, is never found as isolated sodium. It is always bound with up to 90 other essential minerals such as silicon, potassium and magnesium, which lower blood pressure, relax the body and leave it balanced.Mineral rich salts to use abundantly:
- Himalayan rock salt
- Celtic, French, Hawaiian sea salt
Salts to avoid:
- Iodised salt
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Nitrates
- Artificial flavours
- Preservatives
Anyone who has tried to avoid salt, knows that the cravings become consistently stronger until you finally cave and eat an entire jar of olives. We are made to believe that our desire for salt is somehow a bodily error which we should ignore, but this is a dangerous idea. These cravings are a signal that your body needs minerals and when avoided can have consequences such as cavities, loss of bone density decreased energy and electrolyte imbalance. Of course, lab manufactured sodium will never satisfy our mineral cravings craving no matter how much salt is consumed. It is only through high-quality, naturally occurring salt that the body’s need for minerals will be satisfied and salt cravings will subside.