It is already well known that consuming too much salt can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. However, there is a big difference between table salt or refined salt and sea salt. Sea salt is obtained after evaporation of seawater and contains essential minerals and nutrients unlike table salt where all these substances have been removed during the refining process. If you replace the usual table salt in your daily diet with sea salt, this will certainly have a positive effect on your general body health. In addition, sea salt has more flavor due to its larger crystals.
Importance of salt for our body
Sea salt has been used for medicinal purposes for many centuries. This is not really surprising since our bodies need salt to survive. If the body cannot absorb enough salt, the body will attract less water to maintain the natural balance between fluid and salts in the body. Over time, this can result in dehydration, possibly leading to death.
We all already know the health benefits of drinking a lot of water, but what many do not know is that our body also needs salt to optimally hydrate. In addition, the combination of water and salt also has a major influence on digestion, the immune system and adrenal gland function.
Hydration
If you consume too little acid, there is a risk of dehydration, which affects all bodily functions.
Digestion
Salt intake stimulates digestion by increasing saliva production and aids in the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. In addition, the salt also stimulates the release of bile in the liver and enzymes in the pancreas.
Immune system
Intake of sea salt will strengthen the immune system by maintaining a good balance of electrolytes in the body. This reduces the risk of allergies and inflammation.
Adrenal function
When someone suffers from adrenal insufficiency, this means that they do not produce enough aldosterone. Aldosterone in the hormone that regulates sodium and potassium. Sea salt has a positive influence on the functioning of these adrenal glands and also ensures the production of energy.
Sea salt vs table salt
There is a big difference between refined table salt and unrefined sea salt. Unlike table salt, which only contains sodium and chloride, sea salt is rich in more than eighty different elements, including many essential minerals. When we use refined salt in our daily preparations, our body does not receive the right nutrients that it actually needs to function properly. It is precisely those minerals such as magnesium, potassium and calcium that are present in sea salt that better protect our body against cardiovascular disease. A deficiency of these minerals can quickly lead to health problems. Replacing your daily amount of table salt with unrefined sea salt will nourish your body with the necessary minerals and therefore prevent your health from being negatively affected by a deficiency.
Sea salt in your daily diet
The best way to fully enjoy the benefits of sea salt is to eliminate all foods rich in refined salts from your daily diet. Replace the table salt that you would normally use in preparations with sea salt, which should have a gray or brown color. If the salt is white in color, you can be sure that it has already undergone a refining process.
Mix half a teaspoon of unrefined sea salt with water and then add it to your preparation. If you follow a diet consisting of unprocessed foods and unrefined sea salt, it is important that you consume sufficient iodine as this substance is only present in very small concentrations in sea salt. This is possible by eating marine fish and shellfish or using iodine supplements.
For people who already suffer from kidney problems, it is still recommended to consult a doctor before making these changes to your diet.
Sea salt may be slightly healthier than table salt, but excess is always harmful. Sea salt contains more minerals than table salt, but these amounts are quite small, so the benefits are not very great. In principle, the two salts do not differ much from each other.
