Benefit of Salt in Our Body

Salt is obtained by two main methods, evaporation from sea water and mining salt from the earth. Table salt and salts used for industrial purposes are obtained through mining whereas gourmet salts are obtained by evaporation of sea water. The salt that we use for home consumption is generally table salt (refined salt), sea salt (unrefined salt) and iodized salt. It is one of the oldest food seasonings as well as an important method of food preservation. It is also used for other culinary purposes such as tanning, dyeing, bleaching, pottery glazing, soap making and the early manufacture of chlorine. Today it is commonly used in the chemical industry for water softening.

Types Of Salt

There are many varieties of salt, each having different types of crystals and uses. The size of their crystals and color varies depending upon the presence of different minerals. Some of the common varieties of salt are as follows.

• Iodized Salt

This is basically table salt having additives like iodine and is considered beneficial for thyroid patients. Since it is a table salt, it has fine granules and is mostly used for home consumption. It is also used as an anti-caking agent to prevent lumping.

• Kosher Salt

This is an additive free coarse grained salt made by compacting granular salt. It is often preferred for cooking as it has a softer flavor than table salt. It is often applied on butchered meat as the large irregularly shaped flakes can draw blood easily. Due to its large surface area, it dissolves easily without over salting and is used as a water softener.

• Black SaltKnown as ‘kala namak’ or ‘sanchal’, it is a tanned salt having a strong sulfuric flavor due to the addition of purified lava. In India, it is available in ground form as well as lumps and is largely used as pickling salt.
• Sel GrisThis is a gray salt native to France. A by-product called fleur de sel is formed when sel gris is allowed to bloom into flowerlike crystals in evaporation basins.
• Maldon Sea SaltIt is a British finishing salt which is similar to fleur de sel and is obtained by boiling sea water. It comprises of delicate pyramidal crystals and has a light, delicate flavor.
• Rock Salt

This salt has discrete crystals and is used for deicing. It is often used in ice creams as it brings down the freezing point.

Salt Benefits

The benefits of salt are many. To make this an easier read, they are categorized into health, skin and hair benefits.

Benefits Of Salt For Health

Salt is needed by the human body as it controls the fluid balance and the working of muscles and nerves. The body automatically regulates the presence of salt and sodium. Feeling excessively thirsty indicates high levels of salt which is eliminated through the kidneys. Sea salt is generally considered more beneficial than its processed counterpart, the table salt. Some of the health benefits of salt are given below.

1. Proper Digestion

Sea salt aids in the digestive process by stimulating the salivary glands and helping the body create digestive juices. This facilitates quick digestion. Salt also prevents build up in the digestive tract, thus preventing constipation. It facilitates absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract.

2. Beneficial In Respiratory Problems

Salt can be of great help in case of respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis and hay fever. It is effective in reducing inflammation in the respiratory system, thus slowing down the production of phlegm to enable you to breathe easier. Taking half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water can help in clearing up sinus and bronchial congestion.

3. Beneficial In Diabetes

Sea salt is beneficial for those who are diabetic or prone to diabetes as it can lower the need for insulin by helping to maintain proper blood sugar levels in the body.

4. Facilitates Proper Sleep And Cures Depression

Some people have this problem of saliva flowing out of the mouth during sleep which indicates a salt shortage in the body. Deficiency of salt can lead to shortage of water and the saliva glands sensing this shortage are obliged to produce more saliva. Drinking sea salt at bedtime prevents the production of excess saliva. Moreover, sea salt cures depression by producing the two hormones serotonin and melatonin that enable you to deal with stress, thus making you relax and sleep better at night.

5. Strong Immune System

Sea salt is the world’s oldest antibiotic having anti-viral properties. Thus, it can be a great substitute for antibiotic drugs minus the side effects. It strengthens your immune system, enabling you to fight off the cold virus, fever, flu and autoimmune diseases as well as keep allergies at bay.

6. Aids Weight Loss

Though table salt is not much beneficial in this respect, sea salt can actually help you lose weight by preventing water retention as well as aiding in digestion. As already stated, sea salt facilitates quick digestion by the creation of digestive juices, thus preventing build-up in the digestive tract that can lead to constipation and weight gain.

7. Prevents Osteoporosis

Salt is needed to keep the bones healthy, and nearly ¼ of the salt in your body is stored in the bones. Deficiency of salt and water causes the body to draw sodium from the bones, leading to osteoporosis. Thus, drinking plenty of water and consuming salt in moderation helps to prevent osteoporosis.

8. Alkalizes The Body

Since sea salt has not been exposed to high heat or stripped of its natural minerals and is devoid of harmful manmade ingredients, it helps in alkalizing your body. Thus, it eliminates the risk of serious life-threatening diseases by preventing and reversing high levels of acid in the body. The minerals maintain proper electrolyte balance in the body, thus aiding in proper nerve system and cellular functions.

9. Prevents Muscle Spasms

Potassium is a mineral that is vital for proper functioning of the muscles. Sea salt contains small amounts of potassium and enables proper absorption of potassium by the body from other foods as well. Thus, it helps in preventing muscle pains, spasms, and cramps.

10. Good For Heart

Though salt, in general, is considered harmful in this regard, sea salt mixed with water can reduce high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and regulate an irregular heartbeat, thus providing protection against atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes.

11. Dental Health

Salt plays an important role in dental health and is often used as an ingredient in toothpastes. You can create home-made toothpaste by mixing crushed sea salt and baking soda in the ratio of 1:2 and brush your teeth with this mixture. A mouthwash can also be prepared by adding ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon baking soda to a 4-ounce glass of water and rinsing with it.

12. Improves Mental Health

Salt water baths, apart from enhancing physical health, also help improve mental health. After taking a bath in salt water, you will be more calm, happy, and relaxed. Bath salts act as wonderful stress busters. They can also improve your peace of mind.

13. Treats Acidity

Acidity is one major problem most people face today. Instead of going for all those costly medicines that come with side effects, you can take a salt water bath instead. Due to their alkaline nature, bath salts help reduce acidity. The toxins inside our body are released into the salt bath through osmosis. And the minerals are absorbed into the body by the soles. This reduces the body’s acidic levels and maintains the pH levels of the skin.

14. Provides Hydration

The human body contains 70% water, and it is essential for our existence. NaCl or common salt helps sustain the level of water, shoring up extracellular fluid and promoting optimal blood flow. These properties of salt help us fight infection. If you have ever sucked on a bleeding finger, you know that blood tastes salty. Thus, we need water and salt. Salt boosts basic function, growth, and development, though not necessarily all at once.

15. Eradicates Weakness

If you are someone who suffers from persistent weakness, you can consider having a daily dose of salt water to reduce exhaustion and in some cases even get rid it. Medical professionals note that a healthy individual loses a good amount of salt through urine. Having a little bit of salt water can help balance your salt levels.

16. Maintains Blood Pressure

As mentioned above, urination causes a loss of not just water, but also salt. As the body tries to hold on to salt and water, your blood pressure rises. Thus, a dash of salt with water can help overturn the effects of urination and in turn helps you maintain a steady blood pressure. It is important that you don’t add too much salt.

17. Decreases Appetite

Drinking salt water can help you get into shape. How? Well for starters, when we don’t get the needed amount of salt in our food, we tend to binge on junk food, snacks and promote all sorts of unhealthy indulgences. Drinking a bit of salt water can stabilize the salt levels, helps you avoid cholesterol-high junk food and keeps you in shape.

18. Combats Insomnia

Insomnia is the bane of technology. Most of us don’t enjoy a good night’s sleep anymore. Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter seem to gang up on us making it difficult to go to bed. However, a little dash of salt and water can help. Salt reduces stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline and helps us relax. This benefit of salt water helps you get a good night’s sleep.

19. Improves Bone Health

Sole, pronounced Solay, is a concentrated mixture of salt and water. Apart from being intensely unpalatable, it is also quite healthy. Osteoporosis is said to be the result of a lack of calcium. A glass of Sole can help you increase the amount of calcium and other minerals in your blood and in turn promotes healthy bones.

20. Cures Toothache

I admit that you don’t need to drink salt water to help alleviate toothache. However, to cure this throbbing pain, all you need to do is mix a tablespoon full of salt with a cup of hot water and gargle the mixture. You can drink the mixture if needed, although it’s better you gargle and spit.

Salt Benefits For Skin

Salt has several skin benefits as well. Sea salt in bath water has a soothing and relaxing effect on the skin by removing dirt and toxins from the body. Bath salts are becoming increasingly popular these days. In addition, salt is also used in several beauty products. Some of its benefits for skin are as follows.

21. Healing Properties

Sea salt has great healing properties, and a bath in sea salt water helps to relieve dry and itchy skin as well as cure serious conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It facilitates quick healing by opening up the pores, improving circulation and hydrating the tissues. Besides, it makes your skin softer, supple and reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and cellulite. It acts as a moisturizer for dry, chapped skin and balances oily skin.

22. Treatment Of Acne

Sea salt is often used in soaps, masks, toners and cleansers to treat acne. The sulfur helps to synthesize oxygen whereas potassium maintains the water balance for cell metabolism, thus enabling the absorption of nourishment to get rid of impurities. Calcium cleans your pores, making your cell membranes stronger and magnesium removes dirt and toxins from the skin.