Is Salt Healthy & How Much Should I Have In My Diet?

Content by: Guy Lawrence

180 Nutrition is salt healthy

Salt. Public enemy No.1 along with fat. And just like fat I have come to the conclusion it’s actually essential for the body, but just like fat there’s salt I will not touch and then there’s salt I ensure I have daily. So is salt healthy? Depends… and here’s my thoughts…

There’s an ongoing argument as to whether salt is healthy or not with raised blood pressure, hypertension and the increased risk of premature death being just a few of the pleasant side effects.

But a quick dig around on Google and you’ll soon see not everyone agrees, including science writer Gary Taubes –

With nearly everyone focused on the supposed benefits of salt restriction, little research was done to look at the potential dangers. But four years ago, Italian researchers began publishing the results from a series of clinical trials, all of which reported that, among patients with heart failure, reducing salt consumption increased the risk of death. – Gary Taubes, NY Times

What do I think?

Regular salt

I don’t use regular table salt. From my understanding it’s 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees fahrenheit, with the excessive heat altering the natural chemical structure of the salt.

This has nothing in common with natural salt and makes no sense to me, so why would you want to use it?

According to Dr Mercola, every gram of table salt (sodium chloride) that your body cannot excrete uses twenty three times the amount of cell water to neutralize. Eating common table salt causes excess fluid in your body tissue, which can contribute to:

  • Unsightly cellulite
  • Rheumatism, arthritis and gout
  • Kidney and gall bladder stones

When you consider that the average person consumes 4,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium chloride each day, and heavy users can ingest as much as 10,000 mg in a day, it is clear that this is a serious and pervasive issue.

The Alternative

I use Himalayan rock salt which has 84 trace minerals. A far cry from your regular table salt. These are just some of the benefits listed from Dr Mercolas site which I happen to agree with –

  1. Regulating the water content throughout your body.
  2. Promoting a healthy pH balance in your cells, particularly your brain cells.
  3. Promoting blood sugar health and helping to reduce the signs of ageing.
  4. Assisting in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.
  5. Absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.
  6. Supporting respiratory health.
  7. Promoting sinus health.
  8. Prevention of muscle cramps.
  9. Promoting bone strength.
  10. Regulating your sleep – it naturally promotes sleep.
  11. Supporting your libido.
  12. Promoting vascular health.
  13. In conjunction with water it is actually essential for the regulation of your blood pressure.

How much do I consume?

himalayan rock saltI always add a pinch of Himalayan rock salt to my salads or whilst cooking. I also add half a teaspoon to 600ml of water when I’m at CrossFit/training etc

When purchasing you need to make sure it has that pink colour.

I’ve come to believe that if you cut out must junk and processed foods from your daily diet, you would have eliminated most salt from your diet. This is one of the reasons I’m proactive with my daily salt intake. This is also an area worth looking into if you eat a low carbohydrate diet.

Do you use Himalayan rock salt? Do you use salt? During exercise? Would love to hear your thoughts, Guy

Recommended reading

science-political-science-of-salt

we-only-think-we-know-the-truth-about-salt

Dr Mercola

Guy Lawrence

This article is brought to you by Guy Lawrence. Guy is a qualified fitness trainer with over 10 years of experience in the health industry. Guy worked at the UTS Fitness Centre in Sydney Australia where he specialised in exercise nutrition and obtained his Certificate in Exercise Nutrition and Certified... Read More
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13 Replies to “Is Salt Healthy & How Much Should I Have In My Diet?”
nancy says:

Hi there

What about Sea Salt, is that considered the same as regular table salt?

I use Maldon sea salt thinking it was much better but not sure now..

Thanks,

180nps says:

To my knowledge, sea salt has less minerals than himalayan salt and it is has more comparisons to regular table salt but with less processing….

caf says:

What is your opinion on the murray river pink salt?

Christian Baker says:

Great post, I always add a few pinches when dining at the amazing Luxe Cafe in Bondi Junction… Bring on a coconut water post next please!

Mike says:

Seconding the question about sea salt. We haven’t used table salt for years, purely because you seem to need so much more of it to get the same flavour “hit” as sea salt.

I’m a massive fan of Himalayan pink salt – I also mix it with water during exercise and don’t hold back on flavouring my meals with it. Another great benefit is that it helps support your adrenal system. Shake away I say!

Marie says:

Does Himalayan salt or sea salt have iodine in it ?

Johan .P says:

Hi, I am using himalayan salt that I bought from a natural organic online store. This is what it says about it on their site:

“Himalayan Crystal Salt comes from Himalayan primal seas since the beginning of lives. At that time, there was no pollution, and it was sun-dried naturally. Therefore Himalayan Crystal Salt is completely pure, no pollutant and has many mineral and trace element we need.”

What I am wondering, though, do we really need all the 84 minerals in it?

I try to use it in its natural state (non-heated) so that no nutrients get lost during cooking or similar because that makes the most sense to me.

180nps says:

Hi Johan, this is what wikipedia have to say

Mel says:

Hi Guy, just wondering why the pink colour of the himalayan salt is necessary? The brand I use has white salt not pink…

180nps says:

Hi Mel. To my knowledge it’s a way of telling that the salt is full-spectrum of minerals.

Dominga says:

Hey there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group?

There’s a lot of folks that I think would really appreciate your
content. Please let me know. Cheers

Of course. Angela 🙂

Comments are closed.