Himalayan Salt
In earlier time, salt was as valuable as gold. Wars were fought over it and huge taxes were levied on it. Rulers all over the world tried to control it and salt taxes helped to finance empires from Asia to Europe.
In our times, salt has become a cheap and readily available good which we all take for granted. Our table salt consists of sodium and chlorine, two potentially dangerous components if taken by themselves. Sodium will ignite instantly if it comes into contact with moisture and can produce a very hot, burning flame, and chlorine is poisenous if it is taken in. In combination, the two elements become sodium chloride which we all know as salt.
Salt and Health
Salt is essential, in fact it is as important for humans as water or air. It helps to keep the correct balance of water in our body, in and around the cells and tissues and also in the blood vessels. Salt is important in the digestion of food and it is essential for our heartbeat. It is further necessary for our nerve fibers to send their impulses to and from the brain and make them function properly. A lack of sodium chloride will bring on muscle cramps, dizziness and exhaustion, in extreme cases even convulsions and death.
In spite of this, for many years, salt has been accused of being responsible for high blood pressure and has even been said to threaten public health as high blood pressure can be responsible for heart attack, strokes, and kidney failure. Recently, though, this view seems to be changing and researchers are beginning to proof that there is no reason for healthy people to cut down on salt. People suffering from high blood pressure or renal problems, however, should reduce their salt intake.
„Himalayan Salt“
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Over the last few years, publications on so called „Himalayan Salt“ emerged, rapidly spreading across the Western world. In these publications, this special salt was claimed to come from the high mountain regions of the Himalayas and was said to contain „84 elements essential to human health“, that it had „marvelous healing energies“ and was „untouched by human contamination“.Very quickly „Himalayan Salt“ became a fast seller on the market and outrageously high prices are being asked – and paid - for it.
„Himalayan Salt“ is sold as fine salt to be used in the kitchen, or as white and pink salt crystals or blocks which are meant to be used for anything from sole drinks and baths, to oral rinses, eye baths, and inhalation therapy. The salt is also marketed in the form of salt lamps which are said to be „natural ionizers“, as cosmetic products including soaps, facial lotions and hand creams, bath aids, sauna aids, and bath salts, among many others.
The group „Tourism Watch“ did a research on this so called „Himalayan Salt“ and published its findings in their No. 28 and No. 30. issues. They point out that there is no salt mine to be found anywhere in the Himalayan region and that most of the salt was coming from a big salt mine in Pakistan. They further point out that the salt which is being sold as „Himalyan Salt“ and was claimed to contain „84 elements essential to human health“, was in fact no ’healthier’ than our normal table salt and like this, consisted of sodium and chlorine.
Conclusion
Salt is essential for us as it helps to balance the highly complex water and salt metabolism within our body. However, there is no need to pay a high price for so called „Himalayan Salt“ as this doesn’t hold what is being propagated.
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Actually, Himalayan Sea Salt is the only salt to have ever been studied at the university level. Dr. Babara Hendel, MD, and Peter Ferreira reported on the study conducted at The Inter-University of Graz, Austria in their book, “Water & Salt; The Essence of Life. The results of the study revealed possitive health benefits from eating Himalayan Sea Salt.
Himalayan Sea Salt contains thallium; an acutely toxic element.
Himalayan salt is not actually cloaked as some thing from the himalyan mountains. Go to a health food store and they’ll tell you exactly where in pakistan it is mined. That being said there are at least three major medical tests to my knowledge that have been performed on it (one of Germany, one in Austria, and the other in Las Vegas) by scientists who have found signifigant positive findings when taking a brine solution in the morning. I’m no health nut and there is no way in hell I ever would believe salt (which I hate) could make you feel better. I tried it though because my girlfriend wanted to give it a shot and it was in the house already. SO I tried and the stuff is actually pretty wonderful stuff. Whether it’s cleansing me out or not I know it does have a wonderful effect on my energy, moods, and concentration levels. These aren’t effects because I went into it thinking it was some miracle cure, all I thought it would do is make me really thirsty. There is definately something to this salt. And NO it is not because I hate salt and and salt is essential and now I’m just finally getting my salt from this salt source blah blah blah because as you will notice there is too much damn salt in EVERYTHING these days. If you want to believe iodized table salt is as good for you as this salt and that the sun revolves around the earth, then good for you.
Want to know what I think…i think people are thinking tooooo much about a little part of our diet that nobody cares about. Some would say…oh no if we don’t have the correct amount of salt we could die because our body neeeeeds it. Of course it does…but does it need salt that costs $3.67 a pebble? I don’t think so. Nobody until now thinks about the salt intake and nothing changes with normal people salt. Stop thinking too much and grow up.
yeah i agree with you micah!!! you tell them