Himalayan Crystal Salt & Its Many Health Benefits

Himalayan Crystal Salt:

Throughout history salt has enjoyed an illustrious position, even playing a key role in the rise and fall of various empires. The ancients considered it to be essential to the maintenance of life. Homer even went so far as to call it a "divine substance", Plato described it as "especially dear to the gods", and the Celtic word for salt means "holy" or "sacred." The Romans actually used it as currency (the word "salary" comes from the Latin salarium, meaning a payment made in salt), and even Jesus supposedly referred to his followers as "the salt of the earth."

But the substance that shows up on most American dinner tables these days is far removed from the form of salt that enjoyed such an illustrious past. The sodium chloride, or refined salt, that is used in our diet in such abundance today has been chemically cleaned and purged of its "impurities" which, unfortunately, are really important, health-giving minerals. And, modern day table salt usually comes with additives, such as aluminum hydroxide, stearic acid, sodiumferrocyanide, and more--some of which can be toxic.

When ingested, the body recognizes highly refined salt as a poison and accumulates water in and around the cells to protect them from this invading substance. This process causes swelling, edema, and cellulite, and puts the body in the position of having to spend a great deal of time in "elimination mode", rather than expending its energy on regeneration and renewal. Salt in its refined form is basically energetically dead--instead of serving to enhance vitality, it actually causes a depletion of the body's energy reserve. So instead of being a "divine substance", salt has been transformed into something that's not only devoid of nutrients, but also now linked to a wide variety of diseases, such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, kidney problems and edema.

Fortunately, all of that isn't the case with Himalayan crystal salt, an ancient pure salt still in its natural state. It's been compressed over time (250 million years, in fact!) by great mountainous masses to form a crystal matrix--this matrix is extremely important because it insures that the various minerals in the salt are attached in a way that makes them easily assessable by the cells of the body. Salt with this crystalline structure hydrates the cells, contains vital life energy, and charges bodily fluids with spare electrons. All these spare electrons make the salt a powerful antioxidant--and the only one that works everywhere in the body. In addition, other antioxidants are enhanced in their effectiveness when in the presence of this special salt.

The importance of anti-oxidant protection in regard to maintaining good health has become common knowledge in recent years. Free radicals are now considered to be the single most significant cause of premature aging and degenerative diseases. A free radical is a molecule that is missing one or more electrons needed to be in a state of balance. Since seeking balance is intrinsic to everything in nature, free radicals aggressively steal electrons from every source they can find. In the human body, the phospholipid membranes of the cells are, unfortunately, end up being a great supplier of electrons for free radicals--to our great disadvantage.By losing electrons, cell membranes literally become rancid and dysfunctional, and accumulated damage shows up as premature aging, as well as virtually every disease known to medicine.

Antioxidants are nature's way to minimize this ongoing damage. They can give spare electrons to free radicals, thus neutralizing them without damage to the cell membranes. While there are many antioxidants that are very health enhancing, they all have one fundamental limitation: They work only in some areas of the body. Vitamin C and E, for example, provide fine anti-oxidant protection in the blood vessels and in the extra cellular fluids; however, they do little inside the cell. And selenium works well in the blood and in the brain, while OPCs (Oligoproanthocyanides) are most effective outside the cells and in the lymphatic system.

Crystalline salt, however, works everywhere in the body. Once it is introduced into the system a profound regeneration of the cell membranes becomes possible. Other antioxidants are also enhanced in their effectiveness when this special salt is present. That's because it contains all 72 mineral elements believed essential for health in ideal proportion. And what's equally important is that these minerals are in ionic form and only one angstrom in particle size. An angstrom is one million times smaller than a micron, which is the particle size of the colloidal minerals sold by many health companies today. This means the minerals in crystal salt are more readily absorbable and usable than those in colloidal form, since the body doesn't have to break them down into smaller particles.

And because of its balanced mineral spectrum, crystal salt affects your acid/alkaline balance in the most positive way. If you are overly acidic the salt helps to alkalize the body very quickly. If you are overly alkaline, which is rare, but happens in some cases, it helps rebalance your minerals because over alkalinity is usually simply a mineral imbalance in the mineral metabolism of your body. So, either way, Himalayan crystal salt is a great asset in having completely balanced acid/alkaline metabolism. The salt's electrolyte properties make it a great pick-me-up after a hard exercise workout, as well. Just take a glass of filtered water, add a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice, and you'll have a broad spectrum of naturally occurring electrolytes to replenish those lost by the body during physical activity.

Another possible benefit from using the salt could be the lessening of certain cravings. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, refined salt is extremely yang or rigidifying. That's why using it excessively can lead to hardened deposits in the body and stiffening joints and blood vessels. Sugar and alcohol are extremely yin, or energetically softening, so often the over consumption of refined salt leads to cravings of sweets and alcohol in the body's effort to bring balance to an overly yang environment. Because using a crystalline salt helps bring a natural balance to the system overall, it may actually alleviate, instead of aggravate, sugar and alcohol cravings and the binge eating of sweets in some people.

The mineral composition of this special salt also plays a major role in heart health. Refined salt dehydrates us so that our blood actually gets thicker and the body has to increase blood pressure to move the thickened blood into the arteries and capillaries. Crystal salt, on the other hand, provides the minerals and trace elements that are needed in human blood in very similar proportions to what's required for optimum blood plasma. And it helps us stay hydrated because it electrically charges the body in such a way that we can use water more efficiently, so the blood stays naturally thin, moving easily through the system of arteries and capillaries.

Some people use the crystal salt and within weeks their high blood pressure starts to normalize. On the other hand, if someone has low blood pressure, crystalline salt helps raise their pressure up slightly so it's at a normal level. If you use the salt and are also on medication, you might want to monitor yourself closely under the supervision of a healthcare professional--the reason being that crystal salt may correct your blood pressure and you may end up no longer needing the medication. And continuing to take it when it's no longer necessary can cause harmful side effects. Whatever your particular blood pressure problems are, they are probably related in some way to mineral deficiency and dehydration, and this special salt can help with both issues.

In a 2 year study done with 400 people, it was found that using crystal salt not only can help balance blood pressure, but also eliminate calcium deposits, un-clump red blood cells, and detox the blood. And it does this while also increasing the body's usable oxygen. All of this is the exact opposite of the effect table salt has on the body. Our bodies are 70% - 80% water, but that's only part of the story. It is the type of salt in the body's water content that actually turns it into either a "living liquid" or health hazard. Christian Opitz, who has spent years focusing on the biochemistry of health, has said that "salt is indeed the foundation of life, so the quality of the salt we use determines the nature of that foundation for our own lives." He believes the single most important thing the average person can do to improve their health is eliminate refined table salt and add Miracle Krystal Salt (a brand of Himalayan crystal salt) to their diet.

If you've already replaced ordinary table salt with sea salt, then you've made a step in the right direction. But some sea salts (supposedly 85% of them), including those sold in health food stores, are highly refined, and even certain unrefined versions are affected by environmental pollution. Himalayan crystal salt, on the other hand, comes from ancient sea beds formed 250 million years ago that are now located deep within this famous mountain range, so they were never exposed to the possibility of environmental pollution. And this is the only salt in which all minerals are incorporated into a crystalline structure--making it as different from other salts as a diamond is from coal.

It's this crystalline matrix that allows the salt to carry greater electrical energy and a much stronger life force than any other salt on the market. Sea salt, on the other hand, is made up of a combination of irregular and isolated crystalline structures disconnected from the natural elements surrounding them. Because of this, the body cannot absorb the vital minerals, however many it may contain, without expending tremendous energy to vitalize them. So sea salt assumes a medial role--it's not as detrimental as table salt, but an ional-colloidal integration of its elements is not possible. This analysis, and the comparison of crystal salt to table salt and sea salt, has been confirmed by the Institute of Scientific Photography in Germany using light microscopy, as well as raster-electron microscopy.

And what's great about this salt is that it can be used in a myriad of health-promoting ways--not just sprinkled on your food. It can be taken internally to help detox the body and cleanse the entire digestive system, used in a neti pot to flush the nasal passages, or added to an enema to help cleanse the bowel. You can also use it as an ingredient in the Five Element Smoothie created by Optiz, and in making a salt brine. Amazingly, all the energy meridians of the body come into balance within 15 minutes of taking this brine, so it's a great way to start your morning! But that's not all. To further enjoy its health-giving properties, the brine can be used externally to address a variety of health conditions, such as skin disorders, herpes, rheumatic pain, gout, ear infections, and nail fungus.

And the coarser size crystal salt helps turn a hot soak into a detoxing, skin smoothing, soothing experience. With the larger, coarser size crystals you'll notice the salt's natural pinkish hue. This comes from the presence of hematite, a form of iron oxide that not only lends a beautiful color to the salt, but also an ionic form of iron that the body can readily absorb. So if you need some extra iron in your diet, the salt serves as an excellent source. And ionic iron does not build up in the body and cause potential harmful side effects, which many forms of iron supplementation potentially can do. Himalayan crystal salt also contains naturally occurring iodine, which is essential to health--in exactly the proportion your body needs (the form of iodine that's added to most table salts is actually considered a toxic metal). So the presence of naturally occurring hematite and iodine are just two more reasons why this salt makes the best flavor enhancer and mineral supplement you can buy!

In fact, it almost seems like a miracle that something so simple, inexpensive, and easy to incorporate into your daily health routine could offer such far-ranging benefits. Isn't it exciting to know there is now a salt available that actually adds to your state of health, instead of contributing to various diseases?! Just be sure when you buy crystal salt that you're getting one that's actually from the Himalayan mountains, and not some other region, and that it's minimally processed (hand mined and washed) to retain all its health-giving properties. Some crystal salts on the market today don't offer that level of potency and purity.