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   Oct 11

Himalayan Salt vs. Standard Table: Salt that Heals vs. Salt that Kills

Salt is a natural and wonderful thing. At one point in history, Romans referred to salt as “white gold.” At times, they were paid in salt. Whether it be from the highest reaches of the Himalayas, or from the depths of the ocean floor, salt is a necessary mineral for all animal and human life. It’s an essential element in keeping and maintaining the proper balance of minerals in the majority of Earth’s living creatures. Every cell in our bodies need salt. Your body relies on salt for property circulation, to keep good bone density, and to stabilize blood sugar levels.

I’m sure you have heard before that salt is actually bad for you. If not, you may have heard a relative discussing how the doctor recommended that they cut back on salt. How could something so wonderful, necessary for both animal and human life, and natural become dangerous? Below are a few common dangers and misconceptions of salt.

Table Salt Facts

“Table Salt” is a form of sodium that is manufactured, called sodium chloride. Similar to an illusionist’s act, table salt pulls off a strong impression of salts that are naturally occurring, which is to say that it merely mimics the flavor of what is necessary for the body. It is unsettling to learn that the taste of this processed salt stems from the manufacturing of 97% (or more) of sodium chloride, as well as an assortment of chemicals like synthetic iodine, fluoride, aluminium, bleaching agents, and even sugar just to name a few.

Table salt is made through a process called iodization. Iodization is no magic, but is an application of very high heat (around 1200 degrees fahrenheit), which causes the “salt” to lose the majority of its essential elements. As a result, standard table salt has no nutritional value. Additionally, this intense heating process causes the sodium chloride’s internal crystalline structure to be isolated individually, which means that it is energetically dead as a opposed to raw, naturally occurring salt. Your body has to work 10-times as hard to metabolize it, using valuable energy that other organs and cells need to function properly.

Natural salt, like Himalayan salt, is actually alkaline minerals that help to keep us hydrated, fill the body with powerful electrolytes, as well as balance our sodium-potassium ratios. It also contains all of the necessary trace elements needed for proper thyroid, adrenal and immune function (which are completely stripped from table salt). Real forms of salt will also increase the creation of digestive enzymes that allow us to assimilate and extract other nutrients and vitamins from the food that we eat.

What Is In Table Salt?

Iodized salts that are commonly purchased, that are sitting on a table at your favorite restaurant and are available at super markets, have a list of synthetic chemicals that are being added to them. These chemicals include manufactured forms of iodide, sodium bicarbonate, sodium solo-co-aluminate, anti-caking agents (so the salt doesn’t clump), fluoride, aluminium derivatives, and toxic amounts of potassium iodide. It might come as a shock, but the majority of table salt is not only unhealthy, but can even be toxic.

The natural forms of essential iodine is lost when salt is manufactured. Without natural iodine, the thyroid is harmed severely, and can lead to metabolism and growth issues. As a result, the chemical-based salt industry started adding synthetic forms of iodine to their products. Some salts add things like toxic MSG (mono-sodium-glutamate) and processed white sugar.

What about the color of table salt? Salt that is naturally found throughout world is not usually white in color. Bleach is used to color table salt white. Where does this salt come from? Much of it is the actual flaky residue from digging oil. Yes, that’s correct. Crude oil extract is one source from which we manufacture table salt.

What is Himalayan Salt?

Himalayan Salt is more than just sodium and chloride. It is salt in it’s original form: wholesome, holistic, unaltered, natural salt, crystallized in the Earth over millions of years.

Himalayan salt has theraputic powers that help to heal. Without question, Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt anywhere on earth. The deposits were created at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, and were formed approximately 250 million years ago in ancient oceans, and as a result are untouched by pollution. The salt contains the perfect ratio of trace elements and minerals. The highest mineral concentration of any known salt known to man, Himalayan salt contains 84 minerals and trace elements that are extraordinarily bio-available to the body.

So, contrary to belief, salt is good for you. Your body just needs the right salt.

The Health Dangers of Table Salt

As common as saltshakers are to our kitchens, so are the numbers of diseases associated with the daily use of table salt. Table salt causes blood pressure to rise very quickly, because the blood is attempting to move toxic elements within the salt as quickly as possible away from the heart. This is the reason that doctors will tell people with high blood pressure to cutback on salt, or stop intake all together. Moreover, too much table salt causes us to retain water and other fluids. Many chronic imbalances such as gout, diabetes and obesity can be worsened or even partially caused by too much intake of common table salt. Be aware, I’m not just talking about the stuff in your shaker.

Most processed and packaged foods contain astronomical amounts of table salt. These preservatives can cause swelling and, over time, major thyroid, liver and kidney problems, as well as the development of asedema, goiters, hypertension, strained elimination systems, muscle cramps, heart disease, water retention, stroke, edema, PMS, heart failure, and even major nervous system disorders such as depression and anxiety. Table salt is especially hard on both the nervous and circulatory system. It also wreaks havoc on the delicate balance of the lymph system within the body. This salt is also very highly addictive. The more the body is used to the high levels of fake sodium, the more it begins to crave it.

The Healing Power of Himalayan Salt Therapy

Salt therapy has been used in the world successfully for centuries. Gentle saline therapy has been boosting respiratory health and soothing inflammation since ancient times. These time-proven remedies for breathing include “wet” salt therapy, like the neti pot (sinus irrigation and cleansing) or salt water gargling (healing mouth and throat irritation), and “dry” salt therapy.

When you breathe in the fresh air from a forest or a cool salt breeze from the ocean, you can feel the difference. More alive, and more relaxed. Many experts agree that being connected to earth and to nature is crucial for health. “Dry” salt therapy provides us with the chance to duplicate some of the ocean or forest benefits by bringing some natural elements into our indoor environment.

Dry salt therapy, which is known as halotherapy or speleotherapy, has been boosting respiratory health and soothing inflammation since the 1800’s when a Polish physician discovered that breathing in pure, ionized air from salt mines cured respiratory ailments. Since then, people have journeyed to the healing “salt caves” of Eastern Europe for their antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and antibacterial benefits.

As we are increasingly exposed to pollutants in the water we drink and bathe in, as well as the air that we breathe, it makes sense that skin and respiratory problems are steadily increasing throughout our society. These health issues take the form of non-seasonal allergies, asthma, difficulty breathing, skin rashes, and countless other modern ailments that didn’t exist 100 years ago. Conventional medicine and prescription drugs try to cure the problems by masking the symptoms. Sometimes these synthetic chemicals do more harm than good.

Modern lungs are under constant stress from air pollution and a wide range of toxins. Himalayan Salt Inhalers, as recommended on “Dr. Oz,” were discussed as one of the two alternative health products he is using himself. He mentions that Himalayan salt differs from table salt in that it is pure. He states Himalayan salt has, “no contaminants, no anti-caking agent, it’s all natural, and has no pollutants.” As a result of its purity, Dr. Oz states that Himalayan Salt Inhalers “are helpful for asthma, allergies, and sinus conditions, and because it has potassium which decreases blood pressure, it may also be helpful for that.”

Speleotherapy is essentially the treatment of respiratory diseases using the air from underground caves. The air is typically rich in natural ions and salt microns, which have been found very effective in reducing allergies, asthma, and other breathing problems. This treatment can also restore ionic balance within the body, and soothe irritated skin. For example, world-renowned Ukrainian Allergologic Hospital, which is located in the foothills of the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains, uses speleotherapy to treat patients with psoriasis, non-seasonal allergies, bronchial asthma, neurodermitis, post-burn conditions, allergic dermatitis, sex disorders, nervous system dysfunction, and chronic nonspecific lung diseases. During more than 30 years, from just this one hospital, an estimated 60,000 patients are reported to have been cured of their ailments.

Take Action

Modern table salt is synthetic and toxic, and causes a slew of problems for human health. Himalayan Salt is natural and healing, and actually reverses problems that table salt can cause. Take action today, and get rid of your standard table salt. Although you may spend a bit more for the real stuff, your body and your health will reap the benefits.

Sources for this article include:

1.) GlobalHealingCenter.com – Himalayan Salt Research
2.) Dr. Joseph Mercola – Amazing Benefits of Himalayan Salt
3.) DoctorOz.com

Source: Natural News

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