SALT

The refined table salt that you buy in supermarkets bears no resemblance to sea salt, or the mineral salts that naturally occur in saltpans or in the soil

Refined table salt is manufactured in the same process as industrial sodium chloride. The original sea salt is treated with lime or caustic soda to remove the magnesium, which fetches a higher price when sold separately to industry. Most of the other valuable elements in the sea salt are also lost or extracted. The manufacturers then add an anti-caking agent such as aluminium silicate or sodium prussiate, bleaches and even white sugar

Refined table salt is so foreign to the human body that when it is absorbed it eventually causes oedema (water retention) and other degenerative diseases. Your blood pressure will rise, your hands and legs may swell, and a heavy load is placed on your kidneys

Most people on a Standard American Diet (SAD) have a craving for salt. Their bodies are actually crying out for the minerals in sea salt, and eating salty processed foods or adding refined table salt makes little difference to their hunger. The average Westerner eats about nine grams of salt per day, which is about one and a half teaspoons. A more natural level is about a quarter teaspoon (1.5 grams). You will get virtually all of that from the salt that naturally occurs in your (organic) food

Prepared, packaged or processed foods contain excessive quantities of refined salt, especially pretzels, chips and salted nuts. Eliminating processed foods is the best way to cut down on refined salt

Either excessive or insufficient salt can cause headaches or migraines. Muscle cramps at night, asthma, or a feeling of faint or dizziness may be indicators of a salt and water shortage in your body. Paradoxically, a shortage of salt leads to an increase in the amount of saliva in your mouth. Salt is a natural antihistamine, and people with allergies can try increasing their salt intake

I strongly recommend using natural sea salt. One of the best of them is called Celtic salt. They vary in colour from off-white to grey to dark brown, are hygroscopic (attract water) and feel slightly damp or sticky between the fingers. 5% of the weight of dry sea salt is a treasure trove of around 100 elements and over 80 additional compounds

A low salt diet is a mistake. Dr. Michael Alderman, head of epidemiology at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York and president of the American Society of Hypertension, has shown that people on low salt diets are less healthy. He suggests that the obsession with low salt diets today is misdirected, and has come about because people are eating refined salt rather than natural sea salt. You should not restrict the amount of sea salt in your diet that feels right. If you live in a hot environment, exercise heavily or drink a lot of water, you may need to add a little salt to your food to replace that lost in your sweat and urine