Why You Shouldn't Be So Afraid Of Salt

Sea salt is produced by the evaporation of seawater. Some is a residual of evaporation that happened long ago. For example, Himalayan salt, which is pink and comes from an inland mountain range, is harvested from terrain that was once covered in ocean water millions of years ago. The container may be labeled Celtic sea salt (aka sel gris, or “gray salt”), fleur de sel (“flower of salt”), or Hawaiian (black or red) salt. High-quality sea salts typically contain 60 to 84 trace minerals—zinc, iron, and potassium among them—making them healthful, and much better than bleached-white table salt. I strongly believe no one should ever consume white table salt. And why would we need to when sea salt is available to us?

Many people are still afraid of salt, fat, and carbohydrates because of all the crazy articles they read decades ago. The problem is not with salt, per se; we just need the right salts. People who are deprived of salts can suffer many health issues. You can include sea salts in your cooking, smoothies, or even just mix some in water and it will give you those trace minerals you need. Salt helps the human body function at its best.

Although seas salt may contain trace iodine, it is not the best source of iodine. Iodine-rich foods include seaweed, cod fish, shrimp, tuna, eggs, organic dairy, and prunes. Iodine is an essential mineral, needed for proper thyroid functioning. With too little, our metabolism slows down. In children, a deficiency can affect brain and bone development. Dr. Christiane Northrup recommends dried dulse flakes (a sea vegetable) as a source of iodine.