Of Salt and
Saltiness
“ Salt
is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty
again?” – Luke 14:34
There are several uses for salt through times. Salt has been
used as a preservative for foods in ancient times and it is being used in
modern times as a seasoning. The benefit of salt is not just to enhance our
taste but salt in its unrefined state contains minerals and vitamins which are
beneficial to the human body.
Table salt which is the most common form of edible salt
found in most homes are refined through harvesting by mechanical means. They
are collected as brine which is a mixture of salt and water, then evaporated at
a very high heat, a process which removes all the minerals found in the natural
salt leaving it only 61% Chloride and 39% Sodium.
Global health agencies advocate the introduction of Iodine
to fortify the table salt at this stage. Refined salt are finer, smoother and
the white color shines brilliantly.
Unrefined salt on the other hand are harvested without the
rigorous mechanical process but minimally processed. Natural evaporation is
engaged and sometimes gentle heating or roasting is involved. This process
preserves the several minerals in unrefined salt for human consumption.
Dr. Joel Wallach, the author of the book “Dead Doctors Don’t
Lie” identified about 90 nutritional factors which include these minerals found
largely in unrefined salt. He further identified about 10 conditions linked
with the deficiency of each of the minerals in the nutritional factors.
Minerals such as potassium and magnesium help immune health,
like many of the minerals found in unrefined salt, they are easily utilized by
the human body. Enzymes
and hormones in our bodies were designed to utilize salt in its whole, natural
form; not in a foreign, refined state.
As known with all refined foods, (including refined sugar,
flour, oils, etc.), minerals, vitamins, and enzymes are destroyed in the
refinery process. When we eat these devitalized foods, our body has to use its
own store of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes to break down food which stresses the
body. Refined food promotes nutrient deficiencies and chronic illness.
The scripture tells us to trash salt that has lost its
saltiness. A salt cannot be said to have its saltiness when all its components
have been removed except two. Does that show that the salt found in most homes
is not meant for our tables but for the waste bin?
There are several types of unrefined salt like the sea salt,
pink salt, Himalayan salt, etc. Salt at whatever processing level should be
consumed moderately. It is also advisable that your taste for saltiness can be
an early indicator for conditions like hypertension which should suggest you
take monitoring/regular check very seriously.
© 2016. Nutraceutical Health Solutions. www.nutraceuticalng.com
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