Let’s chat about salt and its potential toxicity.
Salt is an essential mineral that is vital for human life. Our bodies need sodium to maintain fluid balance, transmit nerve impulses, and contract and relax muscles. It also contains many trace minerals that are important for our health, including bromine, boron, phosphorus, zinc, silicon, iron, manganese, and copper.
The Importance of Salt for Human Health
Not all salt is created equal. Refined salt has been heavily processed and stripped of many of its essential minerals. In addition, it is often mixed with anti-caking agents and other additives to prevent clumping. These additives can be harmful to our health and can turn what was once a nutritious mineral into junk food.
Unrefined salt, on the other hand, is a healthier option because it retains its natural minerals and is less processed. However, it can also be contaminated with toxins if it is extracted from a polluted environment.
Sea salt, for example, can be contaminated with microplastics, which are tiny particles of plastic that have been found in oceans around the world. These microplastics can contain harmful compounds like plasticizers and stabilizers, and can cause health problems such as weight gain and hormonal imbalances.
Pink Himalayan salt can also be contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and aluminum. This is because the mining of the rock salt formations used to make pink Himalayan salt can cause contamination.
So, what can we do to protect ourselves from these toxins? One solution is to choose a high-quality salt that has been tested for contaminants. Look for one that is certified organic and free of additives. Another solution is to minimize our exposure to toxins in general by living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding unnecessary exposure to environmental pollutants.
In conclusion, salt is an essential mineral for our health, but it’s important to be aware of potential toxins that can be found in certain types. By choosing a high-quality salt, living a healthy lifestyle, and using natural detoxifiers, we can help protect ourselves from these toxins and enjoy the many benefits that it has to offer.
References
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- Food Insight. “The Science of Anti-Caking Agents.” Food Insight, 10 Oct. 2018, foodinsight.org/the-science-of-anti-caking-agents/.
- Karami, Ali et al. “The presence microplastics in different commercial salts.” Scientific reports vol. 7 46173. 6 Apr. 2017, doi:10.1038/srep46173
- Open overlay panel author linksDiogo Peixoto, et. al. “Microplastic Pollution in Commercial Salt for Human Consumption: A Review.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Academic Press, 10 Feb. 2019, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771418300647.
- Lim, XiaoZhi. “Microplastics Are Everywhere – but Are They Harmful?” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 4 May 2021, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01143-3.
- Fayet-Moore, Flavia et al. “An Analysis Of The Mineral Composition of Pink Salt Available In Australia.” Foods (Basel Switzerland) vol. 9,10 1490. 19 Oct. 2020, doi:10.3390/foods9101490
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- Mastinu, Andrea et al. “Zeolite Clinoptilolite – Therapeutic Virtues Of An Ancient Mineral.” Molecules, Basel, Switzerland vol. 24,8 1517. 17 Apr. 2019, doi:10.3390/molecules24081517