Rita loves salt. She would rather eat something salty than any other flavor, even choosing salty over sweet. But she feels guilty, having been told that she should choose low salt foods. She wants to do whatever she can to support her health, as she wants desperately to get pregnant.
The salt you should avoid is the refined white table salt that is commonly available and used today. This salt is over 99% sodium chloride, and not at all the same as the unrefined salt that has been an important part of the human diet forever. The process of salt refining involves removing minerals, high heat and pressure, and adulterating chemical additives. The removed minerals are sold for other purposes at a huge profit. These removed minerals are essential for your vibrant health and your fertility.
Refined sodium chloride is actually toxic to human physiology. But humans consume only 7% of the total salt produced, and are not a profitable priority. The other 93% is supplied to the chemical industry and manufacturing who require this “pure” sodium chloride. It is used to produce chlorine, plastics, explosives, agricultural fertilizers, etc.
Beware of “sea salt” labels, as this only means that at some point it came from the sea. This label does not tell you about the quality of the salt. You must seek out a whole, natural source of salt. Luckily it is becoming more widely available. This salt is typically closer to 80% sodium chloride, and the balance includes many other minerals.
Traditional sources of salt include salt from the sea, from salt flats, mined from inland sources, the ash of marsh grasses, and naturally occurring salt in meat, milk products, bone marrow and blood.
There are 84-92 minerals present in unrefined sea salt. Besides sodium and chloride, there are significant amounts of magnesium, sulfur, calcium and potassium. There are lesser amounts of carbon, bromine, silicon, nitrogen ammonium, fluorine, phosphorus, iodine, boron and lithium. There are trace amounts of elements such as copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, cesium, vanadium, and several others.
Many of these minerals need only be present in parts per million concentration for critical biological functions. These trace minerals are not supplied as well from our plant foods, and unrefined sea salt is a very important source. Refined table salt lacks these other minerals. They are absolutely necessary for optimum biological function and cellular maintenance.
Should My Fertility Diet Include Sea Salt vs Table Salt?
Your fertility should absolutely include unrefined sea salt! The composition of this sea salt closely mirrors that of your own internal fluids. It is recognized by the body as a whole food. Salt and the minerals it supplies are needed for:
* Stimulates salivation
* Protein digestion
* Carbohydrate digestion
* Hormone balance
* Regulate body fluids and electrolyte balance
* Helps protect against radiation sickness
* And much more
Only when unrefined salt is added to food can saliva and gastric secretions readily break down your food. So to get all of the nutrition available in your food, you must use unrefined salt.
Salt is needed for normal hormone balance. The adrenals, pituitary and reproductive organs of both men and women all require adequate mineral balance, which unrefined salt supplies so well.
How do you know if your salt is unrefined and has these additional minerals?
* The label will say only 77-86% sodium chloride (by weight)
* Light gray in color
* Moist
* Very small, precisely cubic crystals
* Milder flavor than refined table salt
Read the label of your salt. It it does not say that the salt is only 77-86% sodium chloride, then be cautious of claims about other minerals being present. If necessary contact the manufacturer and find out directly.
A light gray color indicates that many minerals are present. This is like whole grains and unrefined sugars. In contrast, a pure white color indicates a high degree of refining, and lack of nutrient content. Do not be fooled by dry, white salt that contains flecks of dark colored minerals.
Moisture indicates that the salt has not been subjected to artificial heat. This heating or drying affects the ability of the salt crystal to retain many of the minerals. The moisture does make this salt harder to shake out of a traditional salt shaker, but it is worth the extra effort. Shakers with larger holes are available, as well as salt grinders.
The small, cubic crystals of unrefined salt are easily recognized. They are about 3/16th of an inch, and very regular. These crystals also have a sparkling brightness. These crystals are smaller than commercial rock salt or kosher salt, which is also often a dull crystal. Some unrefined salt is ground and you will not be able to see this natural crystal structure.
The taste test. Put a few crystals of unrefined sea salt on the tongue and allow your saliva to dissolve them. Take careful note of the flavor. Rinse your mouth with water. Then put a few crystals of refined table salt on your tongue, let them dissolve, and compare. The unrefined sea salt has a milder, richer flavor. The refined table salt has a sharper, more chemical taste.
For optimal fertility do not eat low salt foods. Remove processed foods with added refined salt from your diet. Your fertility diet must include whole, fresh, nutritious foods liberally salted with unrefined sea salt. You can use 1-2 tsp per day of unrefined salt.
Celtic sea salt is an excellent source of unrefined salt.
To Your Vibrant Health!
Veronica Tilden, DO
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