An Essay on Salts;
Processed, Celtic Sea, and Himalayan

Almost everyone uses salt. This essay will attempt to compare three different types of salt; processed table salt, celtic sea salt, and himalayan salt. There are other salts out there, but these three are the most popularly discussed and debated.

Most Americans consume processed table salt, the blue box with the cute little girl holding an umbrella. Processed table salt (PTS) is chemically cleaned for us. What is left is socium chloride; a chemical that is foreign to the body. It acts as a destructive poisen. In order for your body to digest table salt, it must use tremendous amounts of energy. It overburdens your elimination. Water is taken from your cells to break down the salt which results in dehydration.

"Did you know that the salt companies actually don't make their greatest profits selling salt? Most of the salt sold goes to chemical laboratories and manufacturing companies. Selling salt is actually a side line for salt companies; they make most of their profits pulling out the minerals and selling them back to us through health food stores and to companies like Kellogg's that take a naturally healthy food, process the pee out of it (till it's worthless) and then add back some minerals and vitamins. The minerals come from the salt companies. This is called fortified food." (1)

"For every gram of PTS that your body cannot get rid of, your body uses twenty three times that amount of cell water to neutralize the salt. Eating PTS causes excess fluid in your tissues which can contribute to cellulite, arthiritis, and kidney stones." (2)

What about celtic sea salt (CSS)? It is certainly a better alternative to PTS. According to Dr. Lange:

Our bodies are like the ocean and at the level of our boicheical function, we either get the nutrition we need to maintain this "ocean atmosphere" or we suffer. Violent prisoners given CSS in their diets showed improved behaviors within a few short weeks. Salt is needed for digestion. The sodium of CSS acts differently in your body than the sodium in refined salt. People who dislike salt or have a phobia or intolerance to salt do not realize that they are in fact ill.

CSS has been used in relieving mental disorders (depression, bipolar, disorder, agressive behavior) and helping to reverse heart disease. CSS is sun dried and PTS is dried at 1200 degrees farenheight. We are aware that "cooked" food is toxic to us; the higher the heat, the worse it is. Did you also know that sun charged salt and water are actuall beneficial for us?

There are three kinds of CSS for human consumption. Light gray is for cooking and full of electrolytes. An eight ounce shaker costs ~$6.50. Fine ground CSS costs ~$9.25 for eight ounces. Flower of the Ocean CSS is considered premium. The crystals are very small and white, can be crushed between your fingers and dissolves easily. Cost? ~$17.50 for eight ounces. This CSS is recommended for raw dishes and for salads.

The caveat to CSS is that it comes from the ocean; the polluted ocean. According to Wikipedia.org the Celtic Sea (South of Ireland in the North Atlantic) is full of radioactive pollution as well as oil pollution from oil spills. There was 250 kg of plutonium dumped in the Celtic Sea. CSS, then, is not a better alternative.

Lastly, how about Himalayan Salt (HS)? According to Dr. Mercola, HS is over 250 million years old and is the purest salt available as it is uncontaminated with any toxins or pollutants. Here are the benefits of HS:

Regulates the water content in your body.
Balances excess acidity from your cells, particularly your brain cells
Balances your blood sugar.
Helps reduce your aging rate.
Assist in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.
Absorption of food particles in your intestines.
Helps in clearing mucus from your lungs.
Helps clear us sinuses.
Prevents muscle cramps.
Making the structure of your bones firm...osteoporosis can occur when your body needs more salt and takes it from your bones.
Regulates your sleep.
Maintains your libido.
Prevents varicose veins.
Stabilizes irregular heartbeats and in conjunction with water it is actually essential for regulation of your blood pressure.

HS is mined by hand and hand washed. The minerals available in HS are easily absorbed and used by your body's cells. CS has no environmental pollutants. HS has been analyzed and has many important minerals and elements including potassium and calcium. A four ounce shaker is ~$7.95. While that seems expensive, it lasts longer than PTS. You don't use as much, or seem to need as much.

We conducted a salt tasting experiment with family members. We taste tested PTS, Kosher salt, CSS, and HS. Upon tasting the salts side by side we discovered that the PTS tasted acrid. While kosher and CSS tasted better, we found that HS tasted best. A subtle, almost sweet taste. Only the men in our family did not like it. They preferred PTS because it tasted "real".

Based on my research, I would have to say that HS is the only salt I would use. It seems to be the only choice for optimum health.

Resources:

1. http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/nutrition/salt.htm

2. http://www.mercola.com/forms/salt.htm