Salt (sodium chloride) is a necessary component in the human body. It’s needed for the conduction of nerve impulses, the contraction and relaxation of muscles, and for maintaining the proper balance of water and minerals.

But here in the United States, we typically consume much more than we need, and the wrong types, at that. Although our bodies only need 500 mg/day of sodium chloride to function properly, Americans consume on average, 3,400 mg every day! The body tries extra hard to dilute all that salt by holding on to water, which increases the fluid around cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. The heart has to work extra hard to pump this extra blood, and the blood vessels experience more pressure due to the increased volume. Meanwhile the kidneys are under stress, working hard to get out as much diluted salt as they safely can. Over time, this excess salt can damage the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. Another side effect of excess sodium in the body is calcium wasting; the body increases the excretion of calcium in the urine when too much salt is present, leading to osteoporosis.

You have heard in the press that you need to cut down on salt. That is true if you are consuming processed foods, especially meats like cold cuts, sausages, and bacon; canned soups; commercial breads; and snack foods like chips and pretzels. Pizza is also high in salt! But it’s important to note that all salts are not alike. Most processed foods use processed salts that have the minerals stripped out. Many have contaminants.

When we do add salt to our bodies, we want to choose the right salts. The healthy salts. The salts that have the right balance of healthy minerals to give the body exactly what it needs to function properly. Having the right salts and the right hydration level will promote restorative sleep, promote healthy hormone balance, promote neurochemical harmony, and promote youthful vitality!

Before we talk about the salt that we recommend and why, let’s take a couple minutes to review the salts we try to avoid, and why you should strive to avoid them too.

Salts to Avoid

Generic table salt. This is the salt you find in the salt shaker at most restaurants, and in the kitchen cupboards of most homes. Otherwise known as “refined” salt, it is typically mined from salt deposits, then undergoes a series of processing steps (including heating and bleaching) that remove natural minerals, add anti-clumping agents, and add iodine (if the salt is iodized). Additionally, these salts may contain other toxins as well.

Iodized salt. This is the same processed table salt mentioned above, with iodine added. Prior to the 1920s, iodine deficiency and resultant goiter were prevalent in the “goiter belt” of the US, that included the Great Lakes, Appalachians, and Northwestern states. In the early 1920s, iodine fortification began in some areas of the US, and eventually expanded to all states and 120 countries, leading to better thyroid health and eliminating the population-wide goiter issue. At the present time, iodine deficiency is less common, and iodized salt may not be needed. Iodine is now found in most commercial dairy products, and is naturally present in the line-caught ocean seafood and the sea vegetables we recommend consuming.

Kosher salt. This is a coarse salt of pure sodium chloride with no trace minerals, no iodine, no anti-caking agents, and no anti-clumping agents. But like table salt, it’s imbalanced.

Generic sea salts. This type of salt is derived from seawater rather than salt deposits on land. At first glance, this may seem to be a healthier solution, but regular sea salt is typically harvested through industrial methods and undergoes processing that removes many natural minerals. Generic sea salts are only one or two percent trace minerals. During the salt curing process, most sea salt companies don’t allow the sea water to completely evaporate. Instead, they push the final micromineral-rich brine into the ocean.

Pink Himalayan salt. Although said to contain a variety of minerals, consuming pink Himalayan salt can lead to high levels of chlorine in the body. It has been associated with dehydration and kidney failure, as well as diabetes complications and hormone imbalances.

Black salt. Also known as kala namak, black salt is a kiln-fired sulphurous salt, widely used in the Indian subcontinent and known for its distinctive smell. While mainly comprising of sodium chloride it contains a variety of minerals and often impurities. Some brands also add fluoride, which in excess can lead to dental fluorosis.

Salts to Consume

We love Celtic Sea Salt®. It has a healthy balance of sodium, potassium, and magnesium, and contains a full spectrum of trace minerals. Celtic Sea Salt® is minimally processed, with just seawater, sun, and harvesting.

Their website explains, “Our producers test for purity at the source, and we do periodic 3rd party testing. We test for the things you do want to see in your salt like sodium, chloride, sulfate, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc…. We also test for things you do NOT want in your salt, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, microplastics, and microorganisms. We have found over the years that the analyses are very consistent. There is evidence that even though there is risk of pollution in the oceans, the salt is not bringing the pollution into its crystals. What comes out as salt is not the same as what seawater goes in. There is a miracle that takes place with natural unrefined sea salt!”

Celtic Sea Salt has 13 percent microminerals and is an excellent flavor enhancer. It improves the innate sweetness of the food, especially if you sprinkle it at the table. We recommend not cooking with salt, but adding it at the table; just enough to make the food more appetizing.

There are other healthy salts that contain minerals, including Maldon® and Fleur de sel. You can mix any healthy salt with herbs like rosemary and sage, to use at the table. Healthy salts protect your kidneys, your liver, your spleen; your skin is more lustrous, and wrinkles are reduced.

Healthy salts are an investment. They cost more than other sea salts, because quality matters. They will help you to avoid much suffering and much chronic illness.  We want you to have more of the healthy minerals. We want you to have fewer unhealthy contaminants. And that means investing in a quality sea salt and avoiding the harmful, bad for you, common salts.

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