refined salt
Like the refining process of other pantry staples, white table salt is bleached and refined. It is soaked in a solution containing sulfuric acid or chlorine and then heated to a temperature that removes all minerals and elements useful to our bodies. Anti-caking and conditioning agents are added to give it a permanent shelf life.
However, iodine is also added to prevent goiter (swelling of the thyroid gland); such small amounts (. 01%) are not enough to meet the body's iodine needs.
How is salt refined?
Most commercially refined salt is mechanically harvested as brine from various salt mines. Brine is a highly concentrated solution of water and salt. Brine is often treated with chemicals to remove minerals before mechanical evaporation (sold for industrial use). These minerals are called "impurities" in the salt. These chemicals used to treat refined salt may include sulfuric acid or chlorine. Next, the water evaporates under high pressure and temperature, which destroys the salt's molecular structure. Finally, almost all the water in the salt is removed in a fluidized bed dryer.
All food-grade salt in the United States must comply with the National Academy of Sciences Food Chemicals Codex Sodium Chloride Monograph (1996). Up to 2% of food-grade salt may contain anti-caking agents, free-flowing agents, or conditioning agents. These reagents may include sodium ferrocyanide, ammonium citrate, and aluminum silicate. None of these products have any positive effects on the body. Glucose, also called refined sugar, is used as a stabilizer to keep the iodide in the salt. The final purity of food-grade table salt is between 99.7-99.95% "pure". Pure refers to the sodium and chlorine content. Other "impurities," including healthy minerals and elements, have been removed from the refined salt.
Why is salt refined?
- Refined salt, with all minerals removed, is essentially a lifeless product. Being an inanimate product ensures a long shelf life. In fact, refined salt could sit on grocery store shelves forever. Longer shelf life is a valuable tool for food manufacturers to maximize profits.
- Manufacturers believe that all-white salt products will look cleaner to consumers and therefore increase sales. Refined salt is bleached to obtain its white color.
- If the salt is extracted from a contaminated area, the refining process will remove the toxins associated with the salt.
- Add iodine to refined salt to prevent goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland). However, the iodine in salt is not enough to prevent thyroid disease or meet the body's iodine needs.
coarse salt
Compared to refined salt, unrefined salt contains much more than just sodium and chloride. Unrefined salt contains all the elements necessary for life. Celtic sea salt (light gray) contains 33% sodium, 50.9% chloride, 1.8% minerals and trace elements, and 14.3% moisture.
Unrefined salt has not been put through various machines to remove the minerals and other elements naturally found in the salt. Additionally, unrefined salt has not been exposed to harsh chemicals. Finally, unrefined salt will have minerals and elements associated with its source.
Unrefined salt contains all trace minerals and other elements that are part of its natural source and have never been exposed to harsh chemicals. It ends up being more than just sodium and chloride.
Unrefined salt is a whole food that is easily utilized by the body. Unrefined salt provides minerals (as well as other important trace minerals) that help improve all body systems, including the immune, glandular, and nervous systems.
For culinary purposes, unrefined salt also has a unique flavor that adds great texture to many different kinds of dishes.
real salt
There are several different brands of unrefined salt that contain varying amounts of trace minerals, depending on their source. Celtic Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan Salt and Real Salt®.
Celtic sea salt
In the case of Celtic sea salt, it is harvested off the coast of northwest France. Seawater is conveyed through a series of clay-lined ponds. Next, wind and sun evaporate the seawater, leaving behind a mineral-rich brine. As salt farmers use wooden tools to collect brine, salt crystals begin to form. This is basically the same salt mining method used by the ancient Celts over 2,000 years ago.
This gentle method of collecting salt ensures that it contains healthy minerals and other elements that should be included in the salt.
Real Salt® of Redmond
In addition to Celtic sea salt, there are other sources of unrefined salt. Redmond's Real Salt® is mined from salt mines near Redmond, Utah. Redmond salt does not go through the refining process and therefore contains a variety of minerals. Table 3 gives the main ingredients of unrefined Redmond salt.
The deposit contains more than 60 naturally occurring trace minerals that give the salt its unique color, unique flavor and numerous health benefits. Since true salt deposits come from ancient sea beds, nature created salt long before the Earth experienced any of the pollution or contaminants plaguing our oceans today.
The true salt deposit begins about 30 feet below the surface and is covered by a layer of bentonite clay, protecting it from erosion and the possibility of modern contamination.
Why You Should Use Unrefined Salt: The pH Factor
Unrefined salt contains many healthy minerals associated with it. Refined salt, on the other hand, contains mostly sodium and chloride along with toxic additives. Unrefined salt is a whole food that is easily utilized by the body. Additional minerals like magnesium and potassium are essential for a healthy immune system. These additional medications are meant to be taken at the same time as sodium and chloride. Refined salt, in its highly processed form, is an unnatural substance for the body. For thousands of years, our bodies have not been exposed to salt as much as sodium and chlorine. Over time, humans evolved using natural, unrefined salt and its intact minerals. The enzymes and hormones in our bodies are designed to utilize salt in its complete, natural form; not in a foreign, refined state.
The consequences of using salt in its inactive form are poor functioning of the immune system, the development and acceleration of chronic diseases, and an increase in acidity.
pH
Body pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the body. In an acidic body, the pH decreases, while in an alkaline body, the pH increases. The body has many overlapping mechanisms designed to maintain the body's pH in a neutral state of around 7.2.
When the body's pH becomes too acidic or too alkaline, normal physiological functions decline. Unless the body's pH is neutral (≈7.2), the body's organs (kidneys, liver, brain, etc.) cannot function effectively. Enzymes are the body's catalysts and are very sensitive to changes in pH. They lose most of their functionality when the pH changes. When the pH is imbalanced, immune system cells are unable to protect us. In fact, no part of the body will work efficiently if the pH is not properly balanced.
Acidic pH has been linked to many chronic diseases, including cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis and candida, as well as hormonal imbalances. Majid Ali, one of the foremost practitioners of holistic medicine, writes that an acidic pH is a sign of a lack of health in the body.
Food and pH
The food we eat can have a huge impact on pH levels. Generally speaking, refined foods that have been stripped of all healthy vitamins, minerals, and enzymes can cause acidification of the body. Minerals are among the most alkalizing substances for the body. Many people today are mineral deficient due to improper diet. Mineral deficiencies are often associated with reduced pH (<7.0). Refined salt contains no minerals, while unrefined salt contains minerals. It's not rocket science to realize that unrefined salt will better promote a healthy pH.
Virtually all refined foods (including refined sugars, flours, oils, etc.) are deficient in minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. When we eat these inactive foods, our bodies must use their own stores of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes to break down the food. Over time, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies and chronic disease. Additionally, eating sterile foods can lead to acidification in the body. With the prevalence of refined foods, it's no wonder that most people run on the acid side. My experience shows that it is impossible to overcome chronic illness when acidic conditions are present. Cancer and chronic disease are two consequences of acidic pH. Cancer cells proliferate in an acidic environment. In fact, most chronic diseases occur in an acidic environment. If the pH of the body is acidic (i.e. pH <7.2), it will be difficult to overcome any chronic disease. On the other hand, the same amount of refined salt lowers the pH from 6.4 to 6.0. Refined salt lacks the buffering effect of minerals and is an acidifying substance in the body. Unrefined salt, on the other hand, helps maintain a more neutral pH and can actually help increase acidic pH. Lower the pH from 6.4 to 6.0. Refined salt lacks the buffering effect of minerals and is an acidifying substance in the body. Unrefined salt, on the other hand, helps maintain a more neutral pH and can actually help increase acidic pH. Lower the pH from 6.4 to 6.0. Refined salt lacks the buffering effect of minerals and is an acidifying substance in the body. Unrefined salt, on the other hand, helps maintain a more neutral pH and can actually help increase acidic pH.
