Table salt. The hidden dangers!

Commercial table salt (you know the stuff you get at the store) is created by taking natural salt (or crude oil flake leftovers) and cooking it at 1200° Fahrenheit. Once the unprocessed salt is heated up to this temperature, it starts to lose the majority of the eighty important elements that are naturally occurring.

Commonly purchased iodized salts, available at super markets or sitting on the table of your favorite restaurant, have synthetic chemicals added to them. These chemicals include everything from manufactured forms of sodium solo-co-aluminate, iodide, sodium bicarbonate, fluoride, anti-caking agents, toxic amounts of potassium iodide and aluminum derivatives. It may come as a shock, but most table salt is not only unhealthy, but can sometimes be toxic . WTH?

Natural salt is a whole different animal! Real forms of salt boost the creation of digestive enzymes and juices that allow us to extract and assimilate other vitamins and nutrients from the food we eat. Real salt contain alkaline minerals that help keep us hydrated, balance our sodium-potassium ratios, as well as fill the body with powerful electrolytes. They also contain all of the trace elements needed for proper immune, thyroid and adrenal function (items that are completely stripped out of table salt). A double WTF may be called for here!

But wait! There's more!

Using table excessive salt causes your blood pressure to rise rapidly because the blood is attempting to move the toxic elements rapidly away from the heart. This is why doctors will often tell people with high blood pressure to stop the intake of salt. Duh! Moreover, excessive table salt causes us to retain waters and other fluids. Many chronic imbalances such as diabetes, gout and obesity can be worsened or even partially caused by excessive intake of common table salt. And be aware, this salt is not just the stuff in your shaker!! Most packaged and processed foods contain astronomical amounts of the stuff. These preservatives can cause swelling and, over time, major kidney, thyroid and liver problems, as well as the development of goiters, asedema, hypertension, heart disease, strained elimination systems, muscle cramps, water retention, edema, stroke, heart failure, PMS, and even major nervous system disorders such as anxiety and depression. Whoa there Nellie! It pays to be aware!

Remember, everything in moderation (as Thoreau was apt to say). Salt used carefully has many health benefits, but you when used excessively, it can or may have some dangers. I personally stopped using traditional table salt, and switched to reduced amounts of Himalayan salt years back.... If your interested, please check out sites like Amazon for some great savings!

Update: In the interest of being fair, a FB friend Roger Kelly submitted this argument put forth by Scientific American - http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-time-to-end-the-war-on-salt/

This information was excerpted from an article by Dr. Edward Group DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM