THE WAY I SEE HEALTH CARE: THE SALT MYTH
Is salt a killer? Does salt contribute to Hypertension, Heart Disease, Headaches, etc.? Are you a believer in the U.S. government’s statement on salt and that salt intake should be drastically cut down to reduce diseases? The recommended daily intake was 7.5 mg per day, but now it is has been further reduced to 3.5 gm per day. So salt must be a killer? The answer is yes and no.
Yes, salt is a killer! At the same time, salt is a life saver and life is not possible without it. What then is the truth? Let’s look at the facts and the fads.
Salt was considered as a treasure as much as gold and was treasured and worshipped next to God. Salt was considered so precious that during the Roman Empire, salt was given as a wage to the slaves. The word salt is derived from the word “Solarium” which means slaves. If salt was revered next to God, then why is it a killer? The answer lies in the type of salt and the misguided information.
Sodium is a very important mineral. It is important for the diffusion of water into the cells, preventing dehydration and for nerve conduction. It is dehydration that leads to increased high blood pressure as a compensatory mechanism forcing the blood to circulate and pushing the fluid into the cells. Water diffusion across the cells also ensures the movement of nutrients into the cells and the waste material out to the cells. WATER RETENTION AFTER DRINKING WATER OR WALKING IS DUE TO LOW SODIUM AND NOT, DUE TO EXCESS WATER INTAKE.
The other reasons for water retention are Hypothyroidism and Potassium Deficiency. Sodium is also an extremely important mineral for the Adrenal Glands. Low Sodium means low Adrenal Hormones. It is low sodium that causes giddiness and not the other way around. Sodium is a vital electrolyte for the metabolic enzyme functions and an important component of Bicarbonate secretion from the Pancreas. Sodium Bicarbonate from the Pancreas is necessary to alkalise the small intestines. Acidity in the small intestines interferes with the function of the Pancreatic Enzymes and promotes bacterial and yeast overgrowth. Chloride is important for the Glial Cell proliferation. These Glial cells in the brain are necessary for Intellectual Thinking and to have an Analytical Mind. Chloride is also necessary for the production of Hydrochloric Acid. Low Chloride means low HCL resulting in poor digestion.
The salt that is claimed to be unhealthy is the Table Salt or the Common Salt which is Sodium Chloride. This table salt is the bleached, chemically treated and harsher version of the sea salt. Sea water has 92 mineral like our plasma. Table Salt has only 2 minerals, Sodium (95%)and Chloride (2.5%). The rest of the 2.5% consists of TOXIC CHEMICALS: ANTICAKING AGENTS LIKE ALUMINUM, REMNANTS OF THE BLEACHING AGENTS etc. It is toxic and contributes to Water Retention, Hypertension, Arthritis, Hormone Imbalance, Low Immunity just to name a few. Table salt is also acidic. Interestingly, all the studies done to say that salt is dangerous were done on table salt.
There are healthy salts and they are very essential for good health. These are the Original, Unbleached, Not Chemically Treated Sea Salt and the Himalayan Rock Salt.
Sea salt has 92 minerals and contains Iodine, a very important mineral not only for the Thyroid gland cells but for every cell in our body. Iodine Deficiency leads to Hypothyroidism with or without Goiter. Low iodine is also the underlying cause of most of the cystic lesions in the body, including Ovarian Cysts and Fibrocystic Diseases of the Breast. The well-known sea salt is the Celtic Sea Salt. This would have been the best, but given the current pollution of the sea water, I prefer the Himalayan salt, which are the deposits of minerals and compacted over 2500 million years. Himalayan salt contains 84 minerals, but very low in iodine. This salt has extremely beneficial effects on our health. The mineral contents of the rock salt are very different from the common table salt. It comprises of 75% Sodium Chloride and the rest are all the other very essential minerals. Since we are electrical physiologically, the electrical potential of these minerals confers huge health benefits. The rock salt also has vibrational properties that have been used as a healing therapy for centuries.
Hence, it is wrong to say and assume that SALT IS A SALT & ALL SALTS ARE THE SAME. IT IS ABSOLUTELY INCORRECT TO SAY THAT SALT IS A DANGEROUS FOOD AND CAUSES HEALTH PROBLEMS. IT IS MORALLY, ETHICALLY AND MEDICALLY WRONG TO REDUCE HEALTHY SALT IN FOOD & TO ADD FOOD FLAVORINGS SUCH AS MSG TO ENHANCE TASTE.
” Morality is doing the right thing irrespective of what you are told.” We Doctors should be people of high moral values. So stand up for what is right and just. Educate yourself and help humanity.
Be Well.
Datuk Dr Selvam Rengasamy MBBS, FRCOG,
PRESIDENT OF SAHAMM, FELLOW ACNEM,
OBSTETRICIAN & GYNAECOLOGIST
BOARD CERTIFIED ANTI AGING PHYSICIAN, IHS & A4RM