Don't Fear Salt! It's Essential for Your Body

Salt has been essential in food preparation for our ancestors for thousands of years. However, in recent decades, it has gained a bad reputation due to its links with high blood pressure and heart disease.

The idea that cutting down on salt is healthier started around 200 years ago, based on some questionable science. Back then, doctors understood that our bodies need salt to keep blood pressure in check. They thought that eating too much salt led to high blood pressure and heart issues. This led to large government campaigns aimed at reducing salt intake, but they didn’t really work.

Recent research indicates that this foundational theory may not be as straightforward as previously believed. A meta-analysis involving more than 6,250 patients revealed no significant connection between salt consumption, elevated blood pressure, and the risk of heart disease. Similar to various dietary guidelines, our perceptions regarding salt intake warrant a thorough reassessment.

Why is salt vital for your body?

Salt consists of two vital minerals: sodium and chloride. When we say “essential,” it means we need to get these minerals from our diet to maintain proper balance in our bodies. Over time, salt has gotten a bad reputation, but the reality is that it’s necessary for survival. In contrast, you could completely avoid sugar for your entire life without any negative effects on your health, and it might even get better!

Sodium plays a crucial role in the fluid outside of cells and is vital for keeping the plasma volume stable, which helps ensure that tissues get enough blood flow and that cells can function properly. As an extracellular cation, sodium is mostly found in blood and lymph fluid. Keeping the volume of extracellular fluid balanced is essential for the body’s physiology, especially when it comes to heart health.

Salt has never been proven to cause high blood pressure. In fact, research indicates that eating less sodium can actually lead to health problems. For instance, one study found that people who consumed less than 2300 mg of sodium daily had much higher death rates compared to those who ate 2300 mg or more. Salt plays a crucial role in keeping our bodies hydrated and is essential for maintaining the balance of electrolytes, which are key for our organs to work properly. These electrolytes mainly include magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium.

Salt plays an essential role in these important bodily functions:

Salt plays a crucial role in keeping the right amount of blood in your body, which is necessary for your heart to effectively pump blood everywhere.
Salt supports digestion and helps cells communicate with each other. Additionally, salt is important for clearing mucus and phlegm from the lungs.
Salt contributes to building strong bones and is essential for reproduction.
Staying hydrated is another key function of salt, as it ensures that your cells and muscles work properly.
Salt helps prevent conditions like gout and arthritis.
Salt regulates saliva production, stopping it from overflowing during sleep.
Salt is needed for sending nerve signals to and from organs like the heart and brain, acting as an electrolyte that facilitates electrical impulses for various bodily functions.

Select the right kind of salt

High-quality ocean sea salt, such as Celtic salt, is packed with more than 84 essential minerals that our bodies need. While some of these minerals are only necessary in tiny amounts, unrefined ocean sea salt is a superior option compared to other salts available. Regular table salt found in grocery stores has been processed to remove its natural elements and often includes additives like aluminum to maintain its texture and synthetic iodine, which is only needed in small quantities by the body.