Goodness of Salt

Why do doctors advise us to give up common salt? The main reason is that salt that most of us use are the industrially produced kind: fine grained, white, refined, may be iodized- what is commonly called table salt.

Sea salt is the best. Ninety eight percent of sea salt is what in chemical term called ‘sodium chloride’. Some 2 per cent of it comprises a host of chemicals. These include potassium, manganese, iodine, calcium etc. The minerals in natural salt assist in the balanced use of salt in the human body. If they are not present with the salt, the body will be deprived of them and steal the calcium or manganese from the tissues of bones.

Salt from natural sources is never absolutely white unless and until it is bleached. Salt made from sea water is grayish in colour. It is also a little damp and can lump up very soon. It is not like the free flow salt.

For making commercial table salt sea salt is subjected to 1200 degree centigrade to dehydrate it and then bleached white. The minerals present are removed and the crystalline structure is completely destroyed. Then aluminium hydroxide, potassium iodide and sugar is added to the sodium chloride to ensure that the salt can flow easily.

An important reason as to why we should use commercial salt is that it’s intake is limited to wholesome levels because you can only use it when cooking your food and not add it when eating. Very little natural salt should be used for cooking otherwise the food may become very salty.