Salt is ancient and it has been used to flavor food for thousands of years. It is so important for our existence that our tongues have developed a taste for it. If you eliminate salt from your diet for some time you will realize how essential it is to you.
Salt is generally seen as unhealthy by many health organizations. However, there are types of salt which can actually be healthy.There is a huge difference between sea salt and table salt. Unrefined sea salt has various benefits and helps the human body in different ways and it can be a great health promoter.
Below we will tackle some important questions regarding salt like what is the difference between sea salt and table salt, Is sea salt good for you? what are the benefits of salt? Read on to learn more.
Sea Salt vs. Table Salt
All salt originates from the sea, there is a strong bond between salt and sea. However, not all salt we see in the shops comes from the ocean or sea.
There are salts derived from underground deposits left behind by seawater that was there at some point. Sea salt is produced by evaporating seawater in the sun or by a vacuum evaporation process.
High quality salt has been evaporated slowly and contains health promoting minerals which have remained there after processing. This is also the reason for its natural flavor and color. It can be used in cooking as well as in beauty products. Sea salt can be unrefined or refined. The second option is always better. Refined salt is usually stripped of its minerals.
Table salt is usually refined. Keep in mind that sea salt can also contain some hazardous additives like sodium chloride or others which can cause leaky gut.
The Benefits of Salt
High quality sea salt has a lot of benefits for the body. Here is a short list of some of the main ones.
Rich in Minerals
Quality sea salt contains about 60 trace minerals which are hard to obtain from the food we eat. However trace minerals are abundant in the oceans and seas where real sea salt comes from.
Helps with Dehydratation
Daily consumption of sea salt ensures you maintain balanced sodium levels and potassium ratios. These two work together to make sure there is proper balance of fluids in the body cells which includes blood plasma.
Helps the Digestive System
Removing salt from your diet or not getting enough of it can actually have negative effects like the body not producing important acids in the stomach. Low acid levels in the stomach may cause serious problems in the digestive tract. The right amount of good quality salt in your diet can help the body produce acids and maintain good digestive health.
Enhances Nutrition
Having good acidic balance in the stomach helps our bodies absorb more minerals and vitamins like zinc, iron, calcium, folate and more. So consuming sea salt regularly helps the body get more nutrients from the food.
All in all, research shows that not all salt is good quality and not all of it will promote or support our health. Be extra careful when shopping for salt and make sure you get high quality sea salt which will not only make your food taste better, but will bring multiple benefits to your body.
