Raw Salt is dangerous to your health.

[Classik]

Raw Salt is dangerous to your health. I eat a lot of raw salt, 'kitchen salt' - Sodium Chloride. Seems I prefer adding salt before I eat from the plate to adding it during the cooking. Now they tell me I'm risking my health. I like salt as much as I like sugar So how much different, chemically, is raw salt from cooked salt? This is the question some have refused to address. I don't suffer HBP. Do you eat raw salt too???

 

[AirDancer]

The reason many will say that salt is 'dangerous' to your health is that some people's metabolism cannot deal with a high amount of salt. Salt can lead to dehydration, and also lead to high blood pressure.

However, salt can be healthy for you in moderation. Plus, it adds additional flavor to your food.

I use salt in many of the foods upon which I dine. And that salt is either cooked with the food or is sprinkled on, depending on the food item.

Also, I wouldn't be concerned about what 'they' say .... I can recall when 'they' said real butter and real eggs weren't healthy for people, and 'they' urged switching to artificial margarine & egg substitutes. I prefer real foods & spices & herbs. And I'm still in excellent health.

My

 

[Classik]

Beautiful post. Thanks

 

[Classik]

Chemically speaking, does anyone know the distinction between cooked and raw salt.

 

[tim-from-pa]

Chemically speaking, does anyone know the distinction between cooked and raw salt.

I think what you mean by "raw salt" is pure NaCl. I agree, your body needs a buffer with other minerals added with it. Sea salt is something like 90% NaCl and 10% all other minerals. But what mankind has done was strip those minerals out and then add a token mineral, iodine, due to deficiencies and thyroid problems when all the salt is refined like this. So, most table salt is really like an industrial salt--- somewhat hash on the body. Rather, use natural sea salt.

I can draw a similar analogy to ultra pure water. It's bad for you because it will flush the minerals out of your body. Rather, some minerals in it (like a spring water) is better.

The issue with "too much salt" in one's diet comes from the same thing that messes up people's diets elsewhere: Processed foods. So I think "sodium" got a very bad rap. The problem is that people get too many processed foods, such as in cans and packages, and that includes are famous industrial salt that I just mentioned.

But if one eats foods in their natural form, you actually don't get that much salt. As a matter of fact, if you can look at a person straight in the face and truly say you eat that way most or all of the time, then you may actually need to supplement with salt, just as you do other vitamins and minerals. It can be a very dangerous thing to be too low on salt --- very dangerous, and we don't want to become deficient in it. This is especially true if one exercises or works outdoors (like me) and sweats all the time. And this is especially true if one drinks 6 or more glasses of water each day.

Symptoms of low salt is amongst other things is general malaise, dizziness, tiredness, muscle cramps, heart palpitations and high (or fluctuating) blood pressure. It's an electrolyte so you nervous system and heart needs it to work, or else you'll literally drop over dead.

 

[TOG]

Chemically speaking, does anyone know the distinction between cooked and raw salt.

There's no difference at all. Salt doesn't change chemically during cooking. Besides, it's not "raw" salt that is bad for you, but too much salt. Salt is essential for good health. Among other things, it helps regulate the fluid balance of the body. But too much (or too little for that matter) can throw things out of balance and cause health problems. It doesn't really matter whether it's refined salt or sea salt, too much is too much.

All living things need salt, and therefore there is salt in all our food, before we add any. This natural amount of salt should be enough to sustain good health, but we add more to change the flavor. It's that extra salt that causes problems. Our bodies are able to handle a little, whether added before or after cooking, but we need to be careful not to add too much.

 

[Classik]

Chemically speaking, does anyone know the distinction between cooked and raw salt.

I think what you mean by "raw salt" is pure NaCl. I agree, your body needs a buffer with other minerals added with it. Sea salt is something like 90% NaCl and 10% all other minerals. But what mankind has done was strip those minerals out and then add a token mineral, iodine, due to deficiencies and thyroid problems when all the salt is refined like this. So, most table salt is really like an industrial salt--- somewhat hash on the body. Rather, use natural sea salt. I can draw a similar analogy to ultra pure water. It's bad for you because it will flush the minerals out of your body. Rather, some minerals in it (like a spring water) is better. The issue with "too much salt" in one's diet comes from the same thing that messes up people's diets elsewhere: Processed foods. So I think "sodium" got a very bad rap. The problem is that people get too many processed foods, such as in cans and packages, and that includes are famous industrial salt that I just mentioned. But if one eats foods in their natural form, you actually don't get that much salt. As a matter of fact, if you can look at a person straight in the face and truly say you eat that way most or all of the time, then you may actually need to supplement with salt, just as you do other vitamins and minerals. It can be a very dangerous thing to be too low on salt --- very dangerous, and we don't want to become deficient in it. This is especially true if one exercises or works outdoors (like me) and sweats all the time. And this is especially true if one drinks 6 or more glasses of water each day. Symptoms of low salt is amongst other things is general malaise, dizziness, tiredness, muscle cramps, heart palpitations and high (or fluctuating) blood pressure. It's an electrolyte so you nervous system and heart needs it to work, or else you'll literally drop over dead.

Thank you for this wonderful post. I appreciate it very much. Actually what I mean is, people tell me I should only eat cooked salt and not the fresh one that has not been added to the boiling pot. It's as if there is slight chemical change when you cook it.

 

[Classik]

Chemically speaking, does anyone know the distinction between cooked and raw salt.

There's no difference at all. Salt doesn't change chemically during cooking. Besides, it's not "raw" salt that is bad for you, but too much salt. Salt is essential for good health. Among other things, it helps regulate the fluid balance of the body. But too much (or too little for that matter) can throw things out of balance and cause health problems. It doesn't really matter whether it's refined salt or sea salt, too much is too much. All living things need salt, and therefore there is salt in all our food, before we add any. This natural amount of salt should be enough to sustain good health, but we add more to change the flavor. It's that extra salt that causes problems. Our bodies are able to handle a little, whether added before or after cooking, but we need to be careful not to add too much.

thank you. This is great

 

[jasoncran]

tim that is potassium. not salt. I have r&0 water and I don't drink it alone. my home has a filter and I use it in a Gatorade mix. on average I walk about thirty miles a week. the more salt you take in the more potassium you take out of your body. we need a balance of both. oddly the body uses them in opposition. why I don't know. but it does. both pure sodium and potassium are explosive and will react with anything they touch. I have chucked pure potassium into water and watched it catch fire.

your body ingest potassium with chloride like it does with sodium.

 

[Classik]

Really. What is this potassium stuff all about? I still remember the chemistry stuff: K - Na -Ca -Mg - Al etc;) and K is higher than Na.

 

[jasoncran]

potassium is used as a carrier for nerve signals and sodium is for water retention. remember in the periodic table that often the tables means similar attributes.

 

[Classik]

Nice tip.

 

[Classik]

I love using salt in my food. Maybe I should try it in my tea. so...I excercise everyday and regularly. I need to regain it.

 

[jasoncran]

Gatorade has both salt and potassium and others.

 

[Classik]

Gatorade has both salt and potassium and others.

I think natural salt contains magnessium in it, its chloride: which is the reason its a bit wet to touch. How about that. I think they call it hygroscopic!

 

[Classik]

Magnesium Chloride. (NaCl prepared in the lab is always dry)

 

[jasoncran]

natural salt is only sodium choride but they do mix it with magnesium for some reason

 

[Classik]

natural salt is only sodium choride but they do mix it with magnesium for some reason

how about sea salt?

 

[jasoncran]

all salt comes from the sea. Germany has sea mines on its limited are of the beach.

 

[TOG]

natural salt is only sodium choride but they do mix it with magnesium for some reason

They mix it with a number of things, mainly to make it free-flowing. A few things, such as iodine and iron, are added for nutritional purposes to prevent common shortages in modern diets.