Learn the benefits of sea salt and why you should incorporate into your diet everyday!
What is Sea Salt?
Sea salt, in general, is salt derived from ocean water or salty lake water through evaporation. We all know the taste of salt, and it is most commonly used to season our food since it adds flavor. It’s been used worldwide for cooking since the prehistory times.
What’s the Difference Between Sea Salt and Table Salt?
You’ve probably heard of the common health warning about the amount of sodium needed: “Stick to a low-sodium diet or watch your sodium intake for better heart health.” While there is some truth to salt causing hypertension, this only applies to refined white table salt that you’ll often see in salt shakers at restaurants. That’s because these salts have been stripped of their beneficial minerals and only have sodium and chloride, which create imbalances and disease in the body.
Real sea salt has been used for thousands of years by our ancestors and have been a precious commodity to season food and boost their health. I’m talking about unrefined, health-promoting salt that are gray, black, or pink in color. These salts are actually very helpful in balancing the body and providing the body the essential nutrients it is lacking from our modern diet. And helloooo, it adds flavor our food!
Common Types of Sea Salt
While there are many different varieties, these are the two most common types of salt that’s unrefined and minimally processed:
- Celtic sea salt: Celtic sea salt is gray, and sometimes purplish. It has a high percentage of magnesium than other sea salts, in addition to 34 trace minerals.
- Himalayan sea salt: Pink in color, Himalayan sea salt is rich in iron and can have as many as 84 trace minerals. It’s mined by extracting natural salt deposits from the mountains.
8 Sea Salt Health Benefits
Did you know that high-quality sea salt has 84 trace minerals that nourish and strengthen our body? We used to be able to get enough minerals from the food we eat. However, with monocropping and improper farming methods, our soil has been depleted of these essential minerals and doesn’t provide the nutrients to our food like it used to.
However, we can supplement with sea salt and replenish our bodies with these easily absorbable minerals. I even put a pinch of sea salt in my water each day for that extra nutrient profile!
Because of these essential nutrients, these are some of top sea salt health benefits:
1. Keeps you hydrated
Contrary to popular belief, sea salt is extremely beneficial in keeping us hydrated. The amount of nutrients in sea salt also satisfies our thirst for a longer period of time and keeps us holding on to the fluids for longer.
Table salt, on the other hand, dehydrates us and actually leeches essential minerals from the body. It also makes us crave it more (I used to be a salt addict!) because our bodies is in need of nutrients that it wants in natural sea salt that cannot be satisfied by processed table salt. This is why you usually need to watch your sodium intake if you are only consuming table salt.
2. Reduces fluid retention
Some people think that salty food makes you bloat or retain water, and yes, this happens when you consume white table salt and refined salt used in processed foods. I remember the days I would wake up feeling groggy and bloated after a late night pizza binge with friends.
However, with real sea salt, the opposite happens because of its balanced ratio of minerals, especially potassium and sodium, which help release retained water. Eating real food and salting your own food with sea salt will help eliminate bloat and water retention.
3. Balances electrolytes
Because of its amazing mineral content, electrolytes in salt include magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium. These electrolytes are vital for muscle, brain and heart health, because of its critical role in the nervous system. Instead of the typical sugar-filled electrolyte drinks you can find at the supermarket, try adding sea salt to water with a squeeze of lemon juice.
4. Prevents muscle cramps
When your electrolytes are low, you can experience muscle soreness, cramps, charley horse, and even restless leg syndrome. The lack of minerals keeps the muscles from relaxing and cause contractions that are out of your control. This is why epsom sea salt baths are recommended for any kind for muscle fatigue. The magnesium in epsom salt plays a huge role in loosening and calming the muscles and your entire body.
If you know you’ll be doing a strenuous activity, make sure to add sea salt to your water before and after to replenish your body with the minerals that it loses during the exercise. Sea salt baths can also help with muscle cramps!
5. Great for skin health
Because of its potent mineral content, sea salt has anti-inflammatory properties that are beneficial for skin health. There are many beauty products that use sea salt, because it has the power to detoxify the skin, while exfoliating, increasing circulation, and providing the skin with nutrients. Sea salt has been shown to be especially beneficial for acne, psoriasis, eczema, and anti-aging.
6. Improves digestion
Sea salt is necessary in the role of digestion, and it starts in the mouth. The salivary amylase, an enzyme which helps break down carbohydrates in the saliva, is activated by the flavor of salt.
Also, salt plays a huge role in the making of hydrochloric acid, which is secreted in the stomach for the breakdown of food, especially protein. Most people are insufficient in hydrochloric acid, and this can cause numerous digestive issues like bloating, gas, heartburn, indigestion, and can eventually lead to leaky gut and chronic disease.
7. Nourishes the adrenal glands
Adrenal fatigue of varying degrees is extremely common today, resulting from stress and poor diet. With adrenal insufficiency, one of the main symptoms is salt cravings. This is because the body is craving the nutrients it needs from sea salt.
Among their numerous demanding functions, our adrenal glands release hormones that regulate sodium and potassium in the body. So in order to make this particular job easier, the adrenals need a balance of these minerals through high quality sea salt. This is especially important when they are already tired from the stress we put through them everyday.
8. Regulates blood pressure
Yes, high quality sea salt is greatly beneficial for regulating blood pressure. High blood pressure is the result of inflammation in the body, which is primarily caused by a high sugar, processed food diet, which also includes white table salt that’s devoid of most nutrients.
Real sea salt actually reduces inflammation by bringing in the necessary minerals that the body uses to boost its immunity. According to professionals like the ones at https://www.carolinacardiologyassociates.com/pulmonary-hypertension-congestive-heart-failure/, by providing the body with enough water and potassium, it actually helps prevent heart disease and improve cardiovascular health. Check Carolina Cardiology Associates – coronary artery disease to get more information.
To receive all the healing and health-boosting benefits of sea salt, make sure to purchase quality brand like this Celtic sea salt and this Himalayan sea salt. Always reach for salt that has color. It shouldn’t be white, because that means it has been refined and stripped of all its beneficial minerals.
Don’t be afraid to incorporate sea salt into your diet everyday, because it truly is a nourishing and healing superfood!
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It has 84 minerals which are very important for our body. We should use it instead of regular table salt.
It is great indeed. Trial will convince you!
Someone who has been suffering from chronic body odor for the past 8yrs, how long will he/she drink the sea salt before he/she gets cured?
Hi Khemmie! I’m not a doctor so I cannot give specific medical advice about this issues. Body odor is usually a liver detox issue or a gut microbiome imbalance, so I suggest finding a naturopath who specialize in that so maybe he/she can take a stool analysis test. Hydration helps, as well as dry brushing and infrared saunas. You can also try aluminum free deodorants. and it contains charcoal which is amazing for detox.
Can a stroke patient be placed on sea salt?
Hi Hauwa, I’m not a doctor so I cannot give medical advice. I would consult with your health professional about it!
I’ve been adding “real” salt to my water for a couple of years, now. Switched to Himalayan due to the plastic that is now in our seas. Minute amount, 0.02% but 10 years ago it was 0.01%.
What benefits have you experienced, if any?
great article – will be trying for sure. Is there a recommended amount to have with an 8 ounce class of water?
I usually just eyeball it and it really depends on your body’s needs. When I’m very stressed out, I’ll add several pinches and still can’t taste it much, which shows I’m really mineral deficient. A pinch is generally a good place to start.
How much salt in the 8 oz water?
I just started using sea90. And am amazed now reading all the benefits of such a regimen!! Thanks for sharing!!
I have been using sea salt for a short few weeks now and already feel the benefit of sleeping better (I had chronic insomnia), greater energy levels, better digestion and my circulation is improving.
It is no small matter that the first order of treatment for heart attack victims is to administer a saline drip, and this comes as no surprise as the sensationalist media et al keep promoting a low salt diet which allows the monopolisation and high price of medical saline treatments.
Refined & highly processed salt including iodized salt presents the body with a poor balance of minerals. The trace minerals are overlooked and not required in enormous amounts to effect bodily functions.
If we are deprived of essential electrolytes the body falters when internal communication is underway. This explains why I am feeling happier and more balanced overall.
I have started taking sea salt with a liquid magnesium supplement. It has relieved my cramping considerably. However I am so bloated and in 6 months I have gained 25#! I have worked hard for several years to loose 60 # and now it’s coming back no matter what I do. Have been to docs and had blood tests etc. all is good. Any ideas???
wooow this is great I love it thank you so much for the educative details I appreciate you .
can taking the sea salt through a glass of water clear pigmentation and scars does it also cleanse the body
Sometimes I get heart palps and Celtic Sea Salt will calm them.
Thanks for this educative info
Hello Dio, If you really want to get well, google Darco Velcek. He tells you how to heal with Celtic Sea Salt.Darko was a medical doctor but gave up his medical license to heal people properly without pharmacy drugs .I healed a 20 year sinus infection with Celtic Salt and eliminating all carbohydrates and sugars.Really worth the investigation.
Health food store get Celtic see salt add it to food or vegetables great to keep your hydrated I put it at my oatmeal maybe coffee I start taking it now ,I was very dehydrated because I had no salt in my body every time I drug water I go to bathroom right away not any more no one is sick everyone is dehydrated
I would prefer to use sea or Himalayan salt for mineral content, but worry about not getting enough iodine in my diet. I do not eat meat or dairy so I’m not sure how else to get it. Thank you.