What’s The Deal with Salt?

aerial photography of sea
Photo by Zaid Abu Taha on Pexels.com

All salt comes from the ocean, salt in its natural form as a crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite.

The use of salt dates back to the beginning of time, it is naturally occurring in the ocean. It has been used in religious offerings throughout Egypt and used as trade by the Phoenicians and valued as a currency throughout history. There are over 30 references to salt in the Bible. Venice rose to economic magnitude through its salt domination, In continental Europe. Where the sea touches the land, you will find salt mines all over the world. Salt is the one of the oldest and most widely used preservatives known to man.

Salt is an essential part of human and animals alike although a very small amount of sodium is needed to accomplish these needs. Sodium is dissolved in the blood and small amounts are needed to conduct nerve impulses, maintain the proper balance of water and minerals in the body, plays a key role contracting and relaxing muscles as well as maintaining blood pressure. Too much sodium intake can lead to heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic: “The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day – or 1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older or if you are black or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.”  One teaspoon of salt contains approximately 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium.

Just like any other product stay as close to nature as possible when purchasing your salt. Slat with color is always a clue that it wasn’t bleached and heavily processed. Look for hand-harvested salt, sun-dried, un-processed salts.

White table Salt (not a healthy choice)

White table salt is composed primarily of sodium chloride (97.5%) a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts. It has no nutritional value. It is mostly mined from underground salt deposits and is heavily processed with a high heat of 1200 degrees Fahrenheit to remove healthy minerals. There are 18 different food additives allowed in table salt, from MSG to sugar and aluminum derivatives.

Heavy or long-term use of this type of salt leads to the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, gout and other chronic conditions. So the next time you need to buy salt for your home make the switch and buy a nice healthy sea salt. Don’t use it in excess, just because it’s a clean version of salt doesn’t mean it won’t have negative effects in large amounts.

Himalayan Salt Rock (halite)

Himalayan sea salt is a beautiful translucent pink color, it was originally formed from marine fossil deposits over 250 million years ago during the Jurassic era. Himalayan sea salt is thought to originate from dried remnants of the primal sea. Harvested from ancient sea beds, Historically, the people of the Himalayas used this salt to preserve their fish and meat throughout the year, and every spring they transported the slat to Nepalese valleys for trade. Himalayan Pink salt is still extracted from mines by hand, according to long-standing tradition, and without the use of mechanical devices or explosives. After being hand-selected the salt is then hand-crushed, hand-washed and dried in the sun, the bigger the chunks of Himalayan the more nutrient dense it will be.

Himalayan Pink Sea Salt is one of the purest salts available today, used for cosmetic & medicinal purposes as well as culinary. Himalayan salt is full of essential minerals and trace elements, it helps balance electrolytes in the body while increasing circulation.

 

Celtic Sea Salt

Natural unrefined Celtic sea salts are mainly found on coastal areas of France. Celtic Sea Salt is a light greyish blue color, almost purple are naturally harvested using an ancient method to preserve its goodness. It is sourced near the Celtic Sea of Brittany, France. This salt is known for retaining its moisture from the sea no matter how you store it. Look for hand-harvested, sun-dried Celtic sea salt.

 

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