CureZone > Foods > Unrefined Sea Salt

Salts that Heal
and
Salts that Kill

Unrefined Ocean Sea Salt
versus
Refined Salt - Table Salt

NaCl (98%) + 80 elements(2%)
versus
pure NaCl (99.9%)

Ocean water is currently an average of 3.5% (by weight) percent dry matter. Dry ocean salt is composed of 80 elements - minerals.

Salt is an essence of Life.

Natural Salt is an essential element in the diet of not only humans but of animals, and even of many plants.

Use of natural salt is as old as human history. Natural Salt is one of the most effective and most widely used of all food seasonings and natural preservatives.
Natural salt is a source of 21 essential and 30 accessory minerals that are essential to our health.
According to some sources, other elements are up to 5% of dry ocean salt.
Refined salt contain only 0.1 - 0.5% other elements.

>
The salt flats of Guérande, one of France's National Treasures.

>Unrefined sea salt contain 98.0 % NaCl (sodium-chloride) and up to 2.0% other minerals (salts) : Epsom salts and other Magnesium salts, Calcium salts, Potassium (Kalium) salts, Manganese salts, Phosphorus >salts, Iodine salts, .. all together over 100 minerals composed of 80 chemical elements... Composition of crystal of ocean salt is so complicated that no laboratory in the world can produce it from its basic 80 chemical elements.
Nature is still better chemist than people.

> This salt has been used since begining of life, by ocean plants, by animals and by people
(Percentage is referring to the percentage of dry matter. Salt can contain high percentage of water.)

>Refined salt (Table Salt) is 99.9% NaCl (sodium-chloride), (chemical as clean as Heroin or White Sugar) . It almost always contain additives, like 0.01% of Potassium-Iodide (added to the salt to avoid Iodine deficiency disease of thyroid gland), Sugar (added to stabilize Iodine and as anti-caking chemical), Aluminum silicate.

Read here: What kind of additives are in food grade salt?

>Refined (table) salt is used last 50-100 years (depend of the country).

Beware of "Sea salt" Labels

On the labels of many packaged food, in supermarkets as well as health food stores the name "sea salt" appears often. Reading this, we feel safe and reassured, thinking that when it comes to the salt part of the ingredients, all is fine...

But All Is Not Fine!

This supermarket or health food store "sea salt" has been totally refined. At its origin, it may have come from the sea, but:

It has been harvested mechanically from dirt or concrete basins with bulldozers and piped through metal conduits;
put through many degrading artificial processes;
heated under extreme heat levels in order to crack its molecular structure;
robbed of all of its essential minerals that are essential to our physiology;
These elements are extracted and sold separately to industry. Precious and highly prized by the salt refiners, these bring more profits than the salt itself.
further adulterated by chemical additives to make it free- flowing, bleached, and iodized.

To call what remains "sea salt" would be quite misleading.

In addition, harmful chemicals have been added to the processed, altered unnatural substance to mask and cover up all of the impurities it has. These added chemicals include free flowing agents, inorganic iodine, plus dextrose and bleaching agents.

Standard salt additives: >Potassium-Iodide (added to the salt to avoid Iodine deficiency disease of thyroid gland), Sugar (added to stabilize Iodine and as anti-caking chemical), Aluminum silicate.

Read about salt/water cure here

NaCl Crystal

Use of unrefined sea salt is as old as human history

>Use of salt is as old as human history. Oldest records come from China. Some 2,700 years B.C.-about 4,700 years ago-there was published in China the PENG-TZAO-KAN-MU. A major portion of this writing discussing of more than 40 kinds of salt, including descriptions of two methods of extracting salt and putting it in usable form that are amazingly similar to processes used today.

How is Ocean Sea Salt Produced?

>The ocean is allowed to flood huge, flat, shallow, beds and then the dam is closed to trap the water. The water is then naturally evaporated by the sun & this leaves a layer of sea salt. Dirty brown salt is on the bottom and pretty white salt at the top.

>Since most people are used to white salt, they just skim off the top white salt & call it "sea salt". UNFORTUNATELY, the trace minerals are mostly in the brown stuff at the bottom.

Real Ocean Sea Salt is produced from unseparated salt. That is why it is slightly darker.

>Celtic Salt, Muramoto Salt and Lima Salt contain also darker salt.

>When producing table salt, other mineral salts are used for chemical industry, or are washed back into the sea, or are used for animals. If we humans just could eat as good as animals!?

> Natural salt is not white and it is not dry. It is a little gray with minerals and feels damp or clumps in humidity.

How is Mineral Salt Produced?

Mineral salt is mined from thousands of feet below the ground surface in areas where there is a layer of mineral salts.

> Mineral salt can also be harvested by pumping water deep underground in areas where layer of salt is discovered. Salty water that comes out, is then used in salt production. Process is called vacuum pan salt refining.

Origin of Salt Layers

> There are two theories. One says that mineral salt is layer of salt created after evaporation of old seas. According to other theory, layer of mineral salt was created by chemical reaction.

> Mineral salt is often in crystal form. It is transparent crystal, or light tan in color with little darker flecks. But, it can also be of many different colors. Not all mineral salts are rich in trace elements. Some are similar to ocean salt, other are not.

>If you ask me, I prefer Ocean salt.

Salt Intake is Vital

>Salt is a vital substance for the survival of all living creatures, particularly humans. Water and salt regulate the water content of the body. Water itself regulates the water content of the interior of the cell by working its way into all of the cells it reaches. It has to get there to cleanse and extract the toxic wastes of cell metabolisms. Salt forces some water to stay outside the cells. It balances the amount of water that stays outside the cells. There are two oceans of water in the body; one ocean is held inside the cells of the body, and the other ocean is held outside the cells. Good health depends on a most delicate balance between the volume of these oceans, and this balance is achieved by salt - unrefined salt.

When water is available to get inside the cells freely, it is filtered from the outside salty ocean and injected into the cells that are being overworked despite their water shortage. This is the reason why in severe dehydration we develop an edema and retain water. The design of our bodies is such that the extent of the ocean of water outside the cells is expanded to have the extra water available for filtration and emergency injection into vital cells. The brain commands an increase in salt and water retention by the kidneys. This is how we get an edema when we don't drink enough water.

Initially, the process of water filtration and its delivery into the cells is more efficient at night when the body is horizontal. The collected water, that mostly pools in the legs, does not have to fight the force of gravity to get onto the blood circulation. If reliance of this process of emergency hydration of some cells continues for long, the lungs begin to get waterlogged at night, and breathing becomes difficult. The person needs more pillows to sit upright to sleep. This condition is the consequence of dehydration. However, you might overload the system by drinking too much water at the beginning. Increases in water intake must be slow and spread out until urine production begins to increase at the same rate that you drink water.

When we drink enough water to pass clear urine, we also pass out a lot of the salt that was held back. This is how we can get rid of edema fluid in the body; by drinking more water. Not diuretics, but more water!! In people who have an extensive edema and show signs of their heart beginning to have irregular or very rapid beats with least effort, the increase in water intake should be gradual and spaced out, but not withheld from the body. Naturally, salt intake should be limited for two or three days because the body is still in an overdrive mode to retain it. Once the edema has cleared up, salt should not be withheld from the body.

Salt has many other functions than just regulating the water content of the body.

Seasalt’s Hidden Powers

The following information is from "Seasalt’s Hidden Powers" . You should get your hands on this book and the entire family should be educated on the facts of life.

The late French scientist Dr. Alexis Carrel kept a chicken heart alive for over 27 years by having the pulsating heart IN A SOLUTION OF SEA SALT, i.e. isotonic seawater. Dr. Carrel voluntarily ended the experiment after a third of a century, having proven that living cells can have physical immortality.

Professor C. Louis Kervran with his scientific research and formulas has been an asset to the scientific establishment and he was a candidate for the Noble Prize. Professor Kervran links us to the secret of immortality and reveals its prime source is trace minerals from seawater [and used in] remedies. Other physicians continued research and found fermentations of briny salt pickles, salted sour plums, and other salty fermentations to be powerful and effective medicines.

Dr. Jacques de Langre, Ph.D., who wrote the book "Seasalt’s Hidden Powers", states that naturally and properly sunshine-preserved sea salt is the difference between life and death, health and illness, social sanity and planetary panic and its elements are vital for proper body functions. That natural hand-harvested Celtic ocean salt alone helps to maintain life, neutralizes toxins and detrimental bacteria, and enhances all our organic function.

Sea salt contain 92 essential minerals and most all refined adulterated sea salts contain only 2 elements (Na and Cl. Biologically, 24 of these elements in real sea salt have already been proven necessary and essential to maintain and recover health. See Scientific American, July 1972: "The Chemical Elements of Life," by Earl Friden.

When dietary deficiency of trace elements occurs, cells lose the ability to control their ions—with dire consequences for humans. Even a minute loss of ion equilibrium causes cells to burst, nervous disorder, brain damage, or muscle spasms, as well as a breakdown of the cell-regenerating process and growth.

In the theory of acid and alkaline balance, chronic disease such as cancer is caused by the acidification of the blood, lymph and all cellular tissues. Real sea salt is one of the basic elements necessary part to correct this problem.

Natural sea salt [reconstituted seawater] allows liquids to freely cross body membranes, the kidney’s glomerulus's and blood vessels walls. Whenever the sodium chloride concentration rises in the blood, the water in the neighboring tissues is attracted to that salt-rich blood, and the cells then re-absorb the enriched intra-cellular fluid. If they are functioning properly, the kidneys remove the saline fluids easily. Refined salt does not allow this free-crossing of liquids and minerals, and causes accumulated fluids to stagnate in joint, producing edema and chronic kidney problems.

Salt is the single element required for the proper breakdown of plant carbohydrates into useable and assimiable human food. Only when salt is added to fruits and vegetables can saliva and gastric secretions readily break down the fibrous store of carbohydrates, etc.

Once salt is dissolved and ionized, the salt possesses a definite reactivity, has full electromagnetic capabilities, and passes more easily into the large colon where it will have a sanitizing effect.

Table Salt: To further prevent any moisture from being reabsorbed, the salt refiners add aluminosilicate of sodium or yellow prussiate of soda as desiccants plus different bleaches to the final salt formula. After these processes, the table salt will no longer combine with human body fluids, it invariably causes severe problems of edema (water retention) and several other health disturbances.

In ancient Celts times, salt was used to treat major physical and mental disturbances, severe burns, and other ailments. Today biologists attest that seawater (also called 'mother liquor') restores hydro-electrolytic imbalances, a disorder that causes loss of immune response, creates allergies, and causes many health problems. Also the therapeutic effect of seawater is recognized and used by the best European medical professionals because of its effectiveness in so many situations.

Today people fear salt and we are witnessing a virtual ban on consuming products with high sodium contents and this is a major concern of biologists. The use of real sea salt-free diets are showing up in the reality of our modern world as society is coming apart. It is basically a starvation of macro- and trace minerals and biological deficiencies cannot be corrected by refined sodium chloride alone.

Celtic salt is a good product because it is naturally extracted by the use of sunshine. If one would re-dissolve salt in water in the proper ratio or combine it in the moisture of foods, its properties re-create the amazing powers of the "ocean" and bears an astonishing likeness to human blood and body fluids. During World War II, Navy doctors would use sea salt water for blood transfusions when blood supplies ran out and many lives were saved.

History

Dr. Langre mentions in his book that, "The Belgian historian Henri Pirenne observed that during the High Middle ages, the entire coast of the Atlantic was deserted and the entire continent was thrown into a Dark Age of human under-development. Historians tell us that it was caused to a great extent by the lack of salt in the human diet, the flooding of all salt flats having disabled every salt farm along the coastlines of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The whole of Europe, therefore, suffered from a salt famine that was to last almost 500 years. The daily average ration fell to less than 2 grams per person and caused may to die from dehydration and madness. The extent of the salt famine reported by Henri Pirenne caused human flesh to be sold on the open-air markets and created an epidemic of crazed people who, to replenish their salt, drank blood from the neck artery of the person they had just slain. Quick to exploit this desperate situation for their own gain, the rulers of Europe grabbed the remnants of the salt stock and exacted exorbitant salt taxes. Heavily burdened by tariffs and gabelles, common salt became a luxury but also caused mass population shifts and exodus, lured invaders and caused wars. Mined salt from the depths of the earth was substituted, but the lack of live and balanced trace elements in rock salt lowered the mental equilibrium and intellect level almost as much as the sheer absence of salt."

Sea Salt Directions

Dr. Langre, Ph.D. writes that, "Rare gases are locked within real sea crystals and began to release in contact of additional moisture and is effective in maintaining and restoring human energy. Note that Celtic salt should not be ground until used because as it is milled the salt releases a subtle fragrance reminiscent of violets, another telltale sign that gases, floral-like vital essences, are being released. Note that these elements are easily trapped and stored in a preparation called sesame salt and a recipe is given in the Seasalt’s Hidden Powers. Real sea salt needs to be stored in an air tight container and kept in a dark cool place. The moisture has a tendency to settle to the bottom of the salt and the salt should be mixed before removing the salt for sure.

Real sea salt need to penetrate foods allowing the moisture of the fruits, vegetables, grains, etc. to liquefy the salt which activates it. If dry salt is used it enters the body in a non-ionized form and can creates thirst (a sign of being poisoned) and lessens its abilities because it is not being assimilated and utilized properly.

Sea water losses its properties of destroying bacilli if stored in bottles and when dries out.

A pinch of salt can be added to a small amount of water to dissolve to activate its powers and added to fruits, vegetables, grains to aid in better digestion of those items while helping to alkalize the body. Adding a pinch to water supplies adds alkaline properties and the mineral content. The minerals it contains are too valuable to ignore.

"Water: Rx for a Healthier Pain-Free Life".

Vital Functions of Salt in the Body

1. Salt is most effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats and, Contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure, it is actually essential for the regulation of blood pressure - in conjunction with water. Naturally the proportions are critical.

2. Salt is vital to the extraction of excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells.

3. Salt is vital for balancing the sugar levels in the blood; a needed element in diabetics.

4. Salt is vital for the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in the body. It is used for local power generation at the sites of energy need by the cells.

5. Salt is vital to the nerve cells' communication and information processing all the time that the brain cells work, from the moment of conception to death.

6. Salt is vital for absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract.

7. Salt is vital for the clearance of the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, particularly in asthma and cystic fibrosis.

8. Salt is vital for clearing up catarrh and congestion of the sinuses.

9. Salt is a strong natural antihistamine.

10. Salt is essential for the prevention of muscle cramps.

11. Salt is vital to prevent excess saliva production to the point that it flows out of the mouth during sleep. Needing to constantly mop up excess saliva indicates salt shortage.

12. Salt is absolutely vital to making the structure of bones firm. Osteoporosis, in a major way, is a result of salt and water shortage in the body.

13. Salt is vital for sleep regulation. It is a natural hypnotic.

14. Salt is a vitally needed element in the treatment of diabetics.

15. Salt on the tongue will stop persistent dry coughs.

16. Salt is vital for the prevention of gout and gouty arthritis.

17. Salt is vital for maintaining sexuality and libido.

18. Salt is vital for preventing varicose veins and spider veins on the legs and thighs.

19. Salt is vital to the communication and information processing nerve cells the entire time that the brain cells work - from the moment of conception to death.

20. Salt is vital for reducing a double chin. When the body is short of salt, it means the body really is short of water. The salivary glands sense the salt shortage and are obliged to produce more saliva to lubricate the act of chewing and swallowing and also to supply the stomach with water that it needs for breaking down foods. Circulation to the salivary glands increases and the blood vessels become "leaky" in order to supply the glands with water to manufacture saliva. The "leakiness" spills beyond the area of the glands themselves, causing increased bulk under the skin of the chin, the cheeks and into the neck.

21. Sea salt contains about 80 mineral elements that the body needs. Some of these elements are needed in trace amounts. Unrefined sea salt is a better choice of salt than other types of salt on the market. Ordinary table salt that is bought in the super markets has been stripped of its companion elements and contains additive elements such as aluminum silicate to keep it powdery and porous. Aluminum is a very toxic element in our nervous system. It is implicated as one of the primary causes of Alzheimer's disease.

22. Twenty-seven percent of the body's salt is in the bones. Osteoporosis results when the body needs more salt and takes it from the body. Bones are twenty-two percent water. Is it not obvious what happens to the bones when we're deficient in salt or water or both.

* The information on salt intake is taken from Dr. Batmanghelidj's book, "Water: Rx for a Healthier Pain-Free Life".

80 Elements dicovered in Sea Water

>People who eat Refined salt develop craving for salt, because, salt that they eat is not satisfying their needs. Than they use more and more salt, in the desperate try to get what they need. Taking big amounts of refined salt (chemical) burden kidneys and adrenal glands that are very important for calcium utilization. Modern physiology has demonstrated that an excess of salt interferes with the absorption of nutrients and depletes calcium, while if used in a moderate doses, salt enhances calcium absorption and nutrient utilization in general.

>It is known that absorption of calcium depends on the health of the kidney-adrenal function and that calcium metabolism is of essential importance for the health of the nerves, muscles, heart, vascular system, and bones. Simply. the whole body is dependant on Calcium uptake.

Low-Salt Diet a Risk?

London, March 12 - A low-salt diet may not be so healthy after all. Defying a generation of health advice, a controversial new study concludes that the less salt people eat, the higher their risk of untimely death.

The study, led by Dr. Michael Alderman, chairman of epidemiology at Albert Einstein School; of Medicine in New York and president of the American Society of Hypertension, suggests the government should consider suspending it's recommendation that people restrict the amount of salt they eat.

"The lower the sodium, the worse off you are," Alderman said. "There's an association. Is it the cause? I don't know. Any way you slice it, that's not an argument for eating a low sodium diet.

SOURCES

Natural salt is not white and it is not dry. It is a little gray with minerals and feels damp or clumps in humidity. It must be labeled UNREFINED, NO ADDITIVES ADDED.

Sources of unrefined salt on the web:

Hawaiian Specialty Salt Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 5766
Hilo, HI 96720

http://www.hawaiisalt.com

The best salt varieties and flavors that Hawaii has to offer. We now offer over 10 different types of salt for any occasion.

SaltWorks™, Inc.
15000 Wood-Red Rd NE
Building B-900
Woodinville, WA 98072
USA
Phone: (800) 353-7258

http://www.saltworks.us/

SaltWorks, America's Sea Salt Company, offers premium gourmet sea salts and bath salts. From Fleur De Sel and Bokek Dead Sea salt to Salish smoked salt and EuroSpa bath salts, our products are the highest quality, suitable for both home and professional use. Buy online in retail or wholesale quantities.

Redmond Minerals, Inc.
P.O. Box 219
Redmond, UT 84652
Phone: 435-529-7402
Toll Free: 1-800-367-7258
Fax: 435-529-7486
E-Mail:mail@redmondminerals.com
http://www.realsalt.com/

The Grain and Salt Society
273 Fairway Drive
Asheville, NC 28805
1-800-TOP-SALT (867-7258)
Fax: (828) 299-1640
topsalt@aol.com
http://www.celtic-seasalt.com/

Clearaspring Ltd.
19A Acton Park Estate
London W3 7QE
United Kingdom
081-749-1781

Grain and Salt Society
Box 629
Avalon Beach
N.S.W. 2107
Australia
02-974-1151

Grain and Salt Society
P.O. Box DD
Magalia, CA 95954
(916) 872-5800
(Fax) 872-5524

Taviusa.com

http://taviusa.com/salt.html

At greysalt.com you will find the finest natural and organic products: organic and natural gray sea salts, organic first cold-pressed oils, natural and organic recipes, and lots of useful natural and organic health information.
http://eco-natural.com/greysalt/products.html

TOP ESSENTIALS of LIFE

1. Oxygen 2. Water 3. Salt 4. Potassium 5. Exercise 6. Oils

FACT - No one can live without these. Mainstream medicine too often ignores 2 & 3 in favor of selling drugs and procedures to treat the symptoms of dehydration.

FACT - The people with the worst health drink the least water and use the most deadly diuretic drought causing drugs - caffeine and/or alcohol.

FACT - The salinity of the water outside the cells in our bodies is similar to the ocean.

FACT - In the middle ages people were put to a horrible death by salt deprivation.

FACT - Health care makes big bucks by selling a quart of water with salt in it (Saline 4) for up to $350.00 installed, but won't tell the patients they do indeed need more water and salt in their diets.

FACT - How can you expect drug companies to do research on the importance of water in our daily lives when they can't make money on it? Who does research to put themselves out of business?

FACT - The environment of an unborn baby is water and salt.

>Sodium chloride or what is today called table salt (common salt) is the chemical compound NaCl.
Chemically, it is 60.663% elemental chlorine (Cl) and 39.337% sodium (Na).

http://www.celtic-seasalt.com/saltoflife/celticsalt.html

http://www.celtic-seasalt.com/saltoflife/liggreycelse.html

Elements in Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt®

>in milligrams per 1/4 teaspoon (one serving size):

> Most recent analysis demonstrated that Celtic Sea Salt® contained at least 75 minerals and trace elements. The following lists the most predominant elements revealed by this analysis.

element	>mg per 1/4 tsp	>%
>Chloride	>601.25 mg	>50.90%
>Sodium	>460 mg	>33.00%
>Sulfur	>9.7 mg	>.820%
>Magnesium	>5.2 mg	>.441%
>Potassium	>2.7 mg	>.227%
>Calcium	>1.5 mg	>.128%
>Silicon	>1.2 mg	>.052%
>Carbon	>0.6 mg	>.049%
>Iron	>0.14 mg	>.012%
>Aluminum	>0.11 mg	>.0095%
>Praseodymium	>0.04 mg	>.0029%
>Strontium	>0.03 mg	>.00275%
>Zinc	>0.03 mg	>.00275%
>Copper	>0.02 mg	>.00195%
>Erbium	>0.02 mg	>.00195%
>Tin	>0.02 mg	>.00192%
>Manganese	>0.02 mg	>.0018%
>Cerium	>0.02 mg	>.00172%
>Fluoride	>0.01 mg	>.00109%
>Rubidium	>0.01 mg	>.00084%
>Gallium	>0.01 mg	>.00083%
>Boron	>0.01 mg	>.00082%
>Titanium	>0.01 mg	>.00079%
>Bromine	>0.01 mg	>.00071%

>
This is a partial analysis, if you are interested in the full analysis please call.
Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt® contains 33% Sodium, 50.9% Chloride, 1.8% Minerals and Trace Elements and 14.3% moisture.

> Analysis performed by Western Analysis, Inc. for The Grain & Salt Society®. For verification: Western Analysis, Inc. 2417 South 2700 West Salt Lake City, UT 84119 (801)973-9238 Fax (801) 973-7635

>Nutrient	>Daily Value
>Sodium	>2,400 milligrams
>Potassium	>3,500 milligrams
>Calcium	>1000 milligrams
>Iron	>18 milligrams
>Phosphorus	>1000 milligrams
>Iodine	>150 micrograms
>Magnesium	>400 milligrams
>Zinc	>15 milligrams
>Copper	>2 milligrams
>Manganese	>2 milligrams
>Chloride	>3,400 milligrams

>

About the minerals and trace elements:

Although certain body processes are attributed to certain minerals, each mineral needs one or more other minerals to properly function. For instance, a proper calcium-phosphorus balance is necessary to the body in that an imbalance reduces resistance to disease, increases fatigue, weakens intellectual faculties and leads to premature ageing. Magnesium can only be used if calcium and phosphorus are in a proper balance. An overabundance of one mineral can result in a deficiency of another. Obtaining minerals from whole food sources provides the body with the wide variety of minerals it needs. Supplementing with one or two minerals is rarely a good idea unless it is under the supervision of a doctor or nutritional counselor.

Chloride

Chloride, along with sodium, regulates the acid/alkali balance in the body. It is also necessary for the production of gastric acid which is a component of hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Sodium

Sodium regulates the pH of intracellular fluids and with potassium, regulates the acid/ alkali balance in the body. Sodium and chloride are necessary for maintaining osmosis and electrolyte balance.

Sulfur

Sulfur is found in all cells, especially in skin, connective tissues, and hair. Inadequate dietary sulfur has been associated with skin and nail diseases. Increased intake of dietary sulfur sometimes helps psoriasis and rheumatic conditions.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral of primary importance in the body because it aids in the activation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy source for cell functioning. Magnesium also activates several enzyme systems and is important for the synthesis of RNA and DNA. Magnesium is necessary for normal muscle contraction and important for the synthesis of several amino acids.

Potassium

Potassium exists primarily in intracellular fluids (the fluid inside cells). Potassium stimulates nerve impulses and muscle contractions and is important for the maintenance of osmotic pressure. Potassium regulates the body’s acid-alkali balance, stimulates kidney and adrenal functioning, and assists in converting glucose to glycogen. Also, potassium is important for biosynthesis of protein.

Calcium

Calcium is necessary to build healthy bones and teeth. Calcium influences blood coagulation, stimulates muscles and nerves, and acts a s a cofactor for vitamin D and the function of the parathyroid gland. Muscles cannot contract without calcium. Calcium is essential for the regulation of heartbeat. Calcium depletion can result in a number of symptoms, the most notable is osteoporosis which results in decreased bone mass and increased chances of bone breakage.

Silicon

Silicon is necessary for normal growth and bone formation. With calcium, silicon is a contributing factor in good skeletal integrity. Silicon is a main component of osteoblasts, the bone forming cells. Silicon may help to maintain youthful skin, hair and nails.

Copper

Copper facilitates in the absorption of iron and supports vitamin C absorption. Copper is also involved in protein synthesis and an important factor in the production of RNA.

Tin

Small amounts of tin appear to be necessary for normal growth. Because tin is common in soil, foods, and water, deficiencies are rare. Because of poor absorption, low tissue accumulation and rapid tissue turnover, tin has a low level of toxicity.

Manganese

Manganese is essential for glucose utilization, for lipid synthesis and for lipid metabolism. Manganese plays a role in cholesterol metabolism and pancreatic function and development. Manganese in involved in normal skeletal growth and it activates enzyme functions.

Iron

Only trace amounts of iron are essential for living cells of plants and animals. Iron has the ability to interact reversibly with oxygen and to function in electron transfer reactions that makes it biologically indispensable. Iron is necessary for cell function and blood utilization. Blood loss is the most common cause of iron deficiency. Pallor and extreme fatigue are the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia.

Aluminum

Aluminum is a natural component of many foods. Although it is found in small quantities in plant and animal tissues and in blood and urine, there is no evidence that this element is essential for any metabolic function in humans or animals. In fact, there is evidence that elevated aluminum can result in neurological disorders, bone disease, gastrointestinal irritation, loss of appetite and loss of energy.

Because aluminum is a natural constituent of some foods and is in a growing number of modern foods and pharmaceutical preparations, an understanding of aluminum and aluminum containing foods and cooking utensils can benefit all people. In healthy people, more than 98% of the ingested aluminum is passed through the gastrointestinal tract. Silicon, a constituent of Celtic Sea Salt (see above), prevents the absorption of aluminum and actually helps the body eliminate aluminum that is bound in the tissues.

Strontium

Strontium (not Strontium 90, the radioactive form of the element) may help harden the calcium-magnesium-phosphorus structures of the body. Strontium may influence the intake or structural use of calcium, according to Bernard Jensen, Ph.D.

Zinc

Although adults only require an average of 15 mg of zinc per day, zinc is a very important trace element that is essential to many biological factors. Zinc is required for growth, for immune system function, and for sexual development. Zinc is a cofactor in over 90 enzymes. Zinc is required for the synthesis of insulin. Proper zinc metabolism is needed for wound healing, and carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Zinc is considered an antibacterial factor in the prostatic fluid, and may contribute to the prevention of chronic bacterial prostatitis and urinary tract infections.

Gallium

Gallium has no known biological role, although it may stimulate metabolism. Small concentrations of gallium are normally found in human tissue.

Titanium

Titanium is an abundant mineral, yet it appears to have no function to plant and animal life. In general, humans may eat and excrete titanium with no side effects as it is considered essentially nontoxic. Titanium may be carcinogenic, but not at the levels humans are generally exposed to.

Fluoride

Fluoride has a direct effect on the calcium and phosphate metabolism and in small amounts may reduce osteoporosis. Trace amounts of fluoride produce stronger tooth enamel that is more resistant to bacterial degradation. However, an increased intake through fluoridated drinking water can potentially overload the human system.

Rubidium

Rubidium has a close physiochemical relationship to potassium. In fact, it may have the ability to act as a nutritional substitute for potassium. Although rubidium is not considered "essential," some evidence suggests that rubidium may have a role in free radical pathology and serve as a mineral transporter across defective cell membranes, especially in cells associated with aging. Clinical studies have suggested that rubidium increases memory and mental acuity in the elderly.

Sources:

Blaurock-Busch, E. pH.D. Mineral and Trace Element Analysis. Boulder, CO. TMI/MTM Books. 1996.

Jensen, B. DC, pH.D. Come Alive! Total Health through an Understanding of Minerals, Trace Elements & Electrolytes. Escondido, CA. Jensen. 1997.

Bergner, P. The Healing Power of Minerals, Special Nutrients, and Trace Elements. Rocklin, CA. Pima Publishing. 1997.

Fallon, S. Nourishing Traditions. Washington D.C. New Trends Publishing. 1999.

Seasalt's Hidden Powers
Book that you should read!

Pages by Salt Institute:

NaCl molecule - crystal structure

>Sodium chloride is the chemical compound NaCl. Chemically, it is 60.663% elemental chlorine (Cl) and 39.337% sodium (Na).

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Salts that HealandSalts that Kill

Unrefined Ocean Sea Salt versus Refined Salt - Table Salt