About Salt

 

Two Salts

In today's market, we now have two distinct choices when it comes to salt: unrefined and refined. Unrefined salt (sea salt) is 84% sodium chloride and 16% other minerals. Refined salt is 97.5% sodium chloride and approximately 2.5% chemical additives.

Unrefined salt is at heart sea salt, but can come from two sources: either freshly dried from the sea, as in Celtic Sea Salt, or mined from ancient inland ocean beds as in Himalayan Salt. In either case, the salt is a naturally occurring complex of sodium chloride, major minerals such as calcium and magnesium, and a complete complement of essential trace minerals. This is the form of salt the body recognizes and is designed to use.

Note: much of the salt labeled "sea salt" is actually refined table salt unless the package is clearly labeled "unrefined." (This is also true for Kosher salt!)

Refined salt, on the other hand, is a manmade creation of the last century that contains anti-caking chemicals (with very important health consequences as we shall see in a minute) and added iodine. Iodine was added for people who lived inland and at one time did not benefit from natural iodine found in seafood. Truth be told, all refined table salt is actually sea salt at heart, either refined from the sea (brine sourced) or found in salt mines created by ancient seabed deposits known as halite. Refined salt is processed at high temperatures altering the molecular structure of the salt (not good) and removing the beneficial trace minerals. The human body doesn't like it.

Source: http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lsalt.htm

 

How To Obtain Unrefined Sea Salt

Fortunately, unrefined salt is available in natural food stores and online. But beware! Some brands have misleading labels. Anything labeled simply "sea salt," even in natural food stores, is almost certainly refined. The following brands, however, are unrefined:

Celtic Sea Salt, described as "whole salt," is sun-dried from sea water with traditional methods. The natural organic matter of the sea contributes additional organic iodine.

I particularly value this salt for its ability to bring out the flavor of meat. It is relatively expensive.

Redmond Real Salt, "gourmet all natural sea salt," is mined in Utah from prehistoric sea beds. It is "not bleached, kiln dried, heated, or altered with chemicals and pollutants."

This is my everyday salt, and I find it perfect for popcorn, rice, and vegetables. It is relatively less expensive and is available more finely ground.

Source: http://www.getting-started-with-healthy-eating.com/unrefined-salt.html

 

Beware of "Sea salt" Labels

On the labels of many packaged food, in supermarkets as well as health food stores the name "sea salt" appears often. Reading this, we feel safe and reassured, thinking that when it comes to the salt part of the ingredients, all is fine...

But All Is Not Fine!

This supermarket or health food store "sea salt" has been totally refined. At its origin, it may have come from the sea, but:

  1. It has been harvested mechanically from dirt or concrete basins with bulldozers and piped through metal conduits;
  2. put through many degrading artificial processes;
  3. heated under extreme heat levels in order to crack its molecular structure;
  4. robbed of all of its essential minerals that are essential to our physiology;
    These elements are extracted and sold separately to industry. Precious and highly prized by the salt refiners, these bring more profits than the salt itself. 
  5. further adulterated by chemical additives to make it free- flowing, bleached, and iodized.

To call what remains "sea salt" would be quite misleading.

In addition, harmful chemicals have been added to the processed, altered unnatural substance to mask and cover up all of the impurities it has. These added chemicals include free flowing agents, inorganic iodine, plus dextrose and bleaching agents.

Standard salt additives: Potassium-Iodide  (added to the salt to avoid Iodine deficiency disease of thyroid gland), Sugar (added to stabilize Iodine and as anti-caking chemical),  Aluminum silicate. 

Source: http://curezone.com/foods/saltcure.asp