Take it with a pinch of salt

Believe it or not, there was a time when salt was a treasured commodity. Salt used to find its worth in gold. It was highly valued for its symbolic and therapeutic benefits by the Romans, Chinese, Jews, Egyptians, Indians etc.

 Unfortunately, with the advent of industrialisation, salt production shifted to factories that used extreme heating procedures (at 1,200°F), which strip the salt of all essential minerals. Our regular salt today doesn’t have anything in common with the original unrefined salt that our ancestors consumed.

“The refined versions of salt often come bleached to carry the appealing white colour. They also carry anti-caking agents that make them free-flowing, and devoid of lumps. These salts are not healthy for consumption,” says Indrayani Pawar, chief dietitian at Hinduja Healthcare Surgical, Mumbai.

It’s important to pick the right salt. Refined salt, which appears flawlessly white, is heavily processed to zap impurities. “Refined commercial salt contains harmful additives, including aluminium silicate, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease,” explains nutritionist Deepalekha Bhattacharjee.

Every cell in the body requires salt, and body functions depend on salt — from blood sugar regulation, bone density to circulatory health. And because we lose salt constantly during the day through urine and perspiration, it’s important that we replenish it.

Unrefined salts
Unrefined salts (mainly sea salt and rock salt) don’t go through so many processes. Hence, the minerals and other elements in them are intact. In addition, unrefined salts are also not exposed to harsh chemicals. Depending on the source, sea salt contains six to 10 minerals. Pink rock salt is considered the healthiest and has up to 84 trace minerals which are essential for holistic wellness.

Best of nature
Pink rock salt is said to be the most beneficial as well as the cleanest salt available on the planet today. It has all kinds of nutritional and therapeutic properties, not to mention its culinary uses make it one of the healthiest and tastiest salts in the world.

Pink rock salt contains the same 84 trace minerals and elements that are found in the human body, a few of which include sodium chloride, iodine, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Moreover, because of its unique cellular structure, pink salt stores vibrational energy. The minerals in this salt exist in colloidal form and are small enough for our cells to absorb easily.

Pink rock salt also finds a mention in Ayurveda. According to Acharya Charaka, saindhava lavana or pink rock salt is tridoshara deepana rochana (improves taste), hrudya (good for the heart) and chakshusya (good for eyes).

A good brand of pink rock salt is identical to the elements of which our bodies have been built, and from which life was formed in primordial times. Doctors recommend using an all-natural, chemical-free, unrefined pink rock salt.

(Courtesy: Puro Wellness)