Pass the salt for health?

I have a message for the nutrition community: the problem is the processed foods themselves, NOT the salt! Compared to many other ingredients in processed foods, salt is a minor player when it comes to unhealthy ingredients.

I find it usefully to check in with mother nature when it comes to nutritional advice. Regarding salt intake and our evolutionary heritage, consider the following and draw your own conclusions:

Our origin as a species was tropical Sub-Saharan Africa. Low salt intake in the tropics can be a death sentence. Perhaps that is why one of our taste buds is dedicated to detect salt. Animal blood (including our own) is a virtual salt factory. The blood of a single cow contains about ¾ pound of salt.

For references on the healing properties of unrefined salt, see “Salt: Your Way to Health” by David Brownstein, MD, and “The Wellness Project.” Informal clinical trials have actually shown that use of unrefined salt can, after a brief adjustment period, provide a reduction in blood pressure.