There has been so much said about how bad salt is for your system, others have extolled the virtues of sea salt, natural salt, and kosher salt. All the while we are not even talking about salt. As you scratch your head over that last statement, follow along and I will tell you a salty story.
You have probably heard the old expression that a man is worth his salt or some version close to it. That came from the era of roman gladiators when the soldiers would receive chunks of salt as part if there pay. So if the soldier preformed well he was considered worth his salt.
For centuries towns and villages along a saltwater coast would flood area then damn them up and allow the water to evaporate naturally leaving only the salt, they would do this repeatedly until they has a good crusty layer of salt. The process was to take wooded rakes and break up the salt into pieces that could be transported.
There were other sources such as the great salt mines of Timbuktu in Africa; here ancient deposits of old dried up seas leave vast deposits of this natural resource. These salt mines can be found all over the world. Even today there are still camel caravans transporting salt.
This is true natural salt or it once rightfully referred to as “natural salts” because the chemical make up from a natural source, unrefined contains the following:
Reference
Dr. Batmanghelidj, M.D., ABC of Asthma, Allergies & Lupus
Today we wouldn’t put up with that we want nothing but the purest form. So they dissolve the natural salts, heat it and let crystals of sodium chloride form, this chemical is what give natural salts that “Salty” flavor and that what we want. In refining we have eliminated the other elements that work as a buffering agent in our systems.
We have all seen the corrosive effects of refined salt, we put in on our roads in areas were ice and snow are driving hazards. This in turn rusts away our vehicles much faster than those of people in the warmer climates. Ships at sea also rust but only do to the corrosive nature of sodium. If we were to make up sea water with only refined salt it would corrode at a much faster rate due to the lack of buffering chemicals.
When we start removing chemicals that are naturally occurring we run into problems here is an excerpt from, The Lancet (12 July 2008).
“Iodine is an essential trace element; the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodotyronine contain iodine. In areas where there is little iodine in the diet—typically remote inland areas where no marine foods are eaten—iodine deficiency gives rise to goiter, as well as cretinism, which results in developmental delays and other health problems. While noting recent progress, nearly 2 billion individuals had insufficient iodine intake, a third being of school age. ... Thus iodine deficiency, as the single greatest preventable cause of mental retardation, is an important public-health problem."
In some such areas, this is now combated by the addition of small amounts of iodine to table salt in form of sodium iodide, potassium iodide, and/or potassium iodate—this product is known as iodized salt. Iodine compounds have also been added to other foodstuffs, such as flour, water and milk in areas of deficiency. Seafood is also a well known source of iodine. Thus, iodine deficiency is more common in mountainous regions of the world where food is grown in soil poor in iodine”
So knowing this why did they decide to refine all of the good elements out, money, plain and simple money!
Just think of the ad they probably used:
“White salt is pure as the driven snow stay away from grey salt.”
Yes natural sea salt is grey and does taste different, but not in a bad way. Do you like salt on your food, I know I do? We all know that table salt is raising our blood pressures and leading to heart problems and strokes. Natural sea salt, with the buffering elements is actually good for you and can even lower blood pressure.
No not me, I have more hair.
I know you are wondering how I could say such things, is there any proof. What scientific studies have been under taken? First the simple answer, I have been using natural sea salt for about two years. It has a more concentrated “salty” taste so I use less, but I still use all I want.
Just before I get into the medical study I have to clarify one thing. In your stores you can find many brands calling themselves “sea salt” or even natural. The clue is if it’s pure white it’s refined. Leave it on the shelf. There are even some that might be grey and claim to be natural; the key is in the gathering of the salt. Some companies actually have the best sea salts but they use large rototiller like machines to break up the salt. They then have to do some processing to get the dirt out they have dug up. This is still better than table salt. The best method is called “Celtic sea salt” this isn’t the brand name but the method used to gather the salt. When you see Celtic you think of Ireland or even Scotland, but I haven’t been able to even find sea salt from there. The sea salt I use is from France, but it has been gathered by people with wooded tined rakes, so only the salt is broken up.
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| Taken in France notice the wooden rakes |
The only thing that has been done to the brand I purchase is that is has been ground to make it easier to use, it does come in a very coarse style but I find that hard to regulate.
Now as promised the research. You might think that we would have to go to some major chemical company or even pharmaceutical company, but no. We are talking salt here, one of the cheapest items we can purchase. My yearly budget for the best natural Celtic sea salt is about $7.00. Large companies don’t want you to stop using their products like prescriptions to combat high blood pressure that was caused by table salt.
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| Dr.B |
Don’t be too impressed that he would have funded a research study. What actually happened was like most despots, one of the first things they do is to gather up and either kill or imprison all the intellectuals. (I would have nothing to fear, it took four tries to spell intellectuals, oops 6 tries)
In prison he was the only medical doctor and the only thing he had to treat people was water and a bit of salt. In Iranian prisons they don’t get the fancy pure white table salt the get crude chunks, which turned out to be a good thing.
I will say this about Dr. B, he was offered a release from prison but he asked to stay so that he could complete his medical study. I am sure that the officials had never heard that request but they let him stay.
I know it’s too late to say this but…. To make a long story short, Dr. B went on to do research into higher intakes of water that normal, but this lead to the depletion of natural salts from the body. So in turn it leads him to the finding about salts. So after all of this what results did he find? Here is his list.
According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, salt has many functions other than regulating the water content in the body:
• "Salt is a strong natural antihistamine. It can be used to relieve asthma by putting it on the tongue after drinking a glass or two of water."
• "Salt is vital for extracting excess acidity from inside the cells, particularly the brain cells. If you don't want Alzheimer's disease, don't go salt-free..."
• "Salt is the best diuretic that exists."
• "Salt is vital for the kidneys to clear excess acidity and pass the acidity into the urine. Without sufficient salt in the body, the body will become more and more acidic."
• "Salt is essential in the treatment of emotional and affective disorders."
• "Salt is essential for preserving the seratonin and melatonin levels in the brain. When water and salt perform their natural antioxidant duties and clear the toxic waste from the body, essential amino acids will not be sacrificed as chemical antioxidants."
• "Salt, in my opinion, is vital for the prevention and treatment of cancer. Cancer cells are killed by oxygen; they are anaerobic 'organisms'... dehydration - shortage of water and salt - suppresses the immune system and its disease-fighting cells' activity..."
• "Salt is vital for maintaining muscle tone and strength. Lack of bladder control in those who suffer from involuntary leakage of urine could be a consequence of low salt intake."
• "Salt is effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats and, contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure, it is actually essential for the regulation of blood pressure - in conjunction with water."
• "Salt is vital for sleep regulation."
• "Salt is a vitally needed element in the treatment of diabetics. It helps balance the sugar levels in the blood and reduces the need for (injected) insulin."
• "Salt is vital for the generation of hydroelectric energy in all of the cells of the body."
• "Salt is vital to the communication and information processing of nerve cells the entire time that the brain cells work - from the moment of conception to death."
• "Salt is essential for the absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract."
• "Salt is vital for clearing the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, particularly in asthma, emphysema and cystic fibrosis sufferers."
• "Salt on the tongue will stop persistent dry coughs."
• "Salt is vital for clearing up catarrh and sinus congestion."
• "Salt is vital for the prevention of gout and gouty arthritis."
• "Salt is essential for the prevention of muscle cramps."
• "Osteoporosis, in a major way, is the result of salt and water shortage in the body."
• "Salt is absolutely vital to making the structure of bones firm."
• "Salt is vital for maintaining sexuality and libido."
• "Salt is vital for preventing varicose veins and spider veins on the legs and thighs."
According to Dr. Batmanghelidj, M.D., "As a rule of thumb, you need about 3 grams of salt - a half teaspoon - for every 10 glasses of water, or a quarter teaspoon per quart of water." (Place a few grains on your tongue after each glass of water.) Those in heart failure - or kidney failure needing dialysis - MUST consult their doctors before increasing their salt intake. Sea salt contains about 80 mineral elements that the body needs. Some of these elements are needed in trace amounts. Unrefined sea salt is a better choice of salt than other types of salt on the market. Ordinary table salt... has been stripped of its companion elements and contains addictive elements such as aluminum cilicate to keep it powdery and porous. Aluminum is a very toxic element in our nervous system. It is implicated as one of the primary causes of Alzheimer's disease.
The above was reprinted with thanks to Global Salt INC.
Wow, right, but some of you may be asking who exactly this Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj, M.D. is; this is all listed in his book and on the web site http://www.watercure.com/about_dr_b.html. He trained in England and studied under Sir Alexander Fleming the Nobel laureate who discovered penicillin. Not bad on a résumé.
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| Not Me |
The first problem is that you are also depleting your potassium and other elements but it’s the potassium that caused me the most problem. Have you ever had those really painful leg cramps that tighten your muscle into a knot? That’s what happens, one day my leg cramped worse than it had ever done and when I stood up to stretch the muscle to relieve the pain my other leg cramped, I collapsed hitting my head on my bed frame and knocked myself out. When I woke up my legs were bruised from the muscles contracting and I crawled to my bed. I latter hobbled the best I could to my car and went to the hospital. They testes my blood and I had almost zero potassium. The hospital gave me supplements.
I lived with the swelling and cramps for years until I read Dr. B’s book. He made sense when he described what was happening. I wasn’t sick I was thirsty. Because I wasn’t drinking enough water my body went into drought mode and started to retain what little water I gave it. It was stored in my legs and ankles, swelling them to the point that I would take another Lasik’s pill.
The body will do whatever it has to keep enough water to run the brain, it will store it stop it from going to less important places. Have you ever had a dry skin patch, not enough water?
After reading Dr. B’s book I started to increase my water intake to where I am now about 6 quarts/Liters per day. Of course the more you drink the more you pee, and that leads to depletion of minerals. But wait if I add just a pinch of Celtic sea salt to my water I get all of minerals I need. In total for the 6 quarts/Liters I take in about ½ teaspoon of salts.Within one month there was no more swelling, at all. I haven’t taken a diuretic in two years. I add all of the Celtic sea salt I want to my food, and my sodium and other minerals from my blood test are perfect. With the increase of water my cholesterol levels are right where they should be, and I do eat a lot of bacon. Not everything is perfect, I am obese but dealing with that is a whole other story for another day.
There was one other thing I wasn’t going to mention but I figure I blew that “to make a long story short” two pages ago.
I had one other health problem. My heart would start what I call flopping instead of beating. The doctors call it Arrhythmia. I have had it to some extent for years. Every so often my heart would act erratic but it only lasted seconds. A few years ago I was woken up by the irregular pounding in my chest. I waited for about 15 minutes for it to pass, but it didn’t so I headed to the Emergency room. They took me in right away and they hooked me up to a heart monitor and the beat pattern was crazy.
They the hooked up an IV as they always do and said that the cardiologist would be in to see me. I waited and when the doctor came in and started to listen to my chest, my heartbeat went back to normal. They sent me home.
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| They might be good for grilled cheese |
I went to the hospital three other times and the same thing happened, the heartbeat converted to normal on its own. This was about the time I read Dr. B’s book and all of a sudden I realized that the only thing that the hospital had done was to hook me up to an IV which is saline solution (salt). According to Dr. B, I wasn’t sick I was thirsty.
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| No not me |
I have never had a problem with Arrhythmia since. Imagine salt and water, no wonder pharmaceutical companies don’t fund any research into the benefits; they would be out of business.
If you made it to the end I want to thank you. I am not a doctor but a patient who has found something that has really helped my life. I hope what I have learned will help someone.
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| Me |
July 8, 2011
My blood pressure, cholesterol, sodium levels, triglycerides and ph are all better than normal and that’s being about 180 lbs over weight. I am in the process of dealing with the weight so I can just imagine how good I will feel when I get the weight under control. I will probably write a whole other story about that.
I wrote the above story awhile ago I just never got around to posting it.
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