top of page
Search

The Truth About Salt: What Your Body Actually Needs And What It Doesn't

"Use sea salt! It has healing trace minerals!"


"Pink Himalayan salt will cure everything!"


"Table salt is poison!"


If you've spent any time in the wellness world, you've heard the claims. But are any of them true?


The short answer: salt is essential for life. But the type of salt you use, the quality of that salt, and how much you're consuming all matter more than you might think.


And if you're working on mineral balancing through HTMA, understanding sodium (the main component of salt) is crucial for your healing journey.


Disclaimer. For educational purposes only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health regime.


Why Your Body Needs Sodium


Sodium is one of the most important minerals in your body. It's classified as a "macro mineral," which means your body needs it in relatively large amounts to function properly.


Here's what sodium does:


Regulates fluid balanceSodium helps control the amount of water in and around your cells. This affects blood pressure, hydration, and how well nutrients move in and out of cells.


Supports nerve functionSodium is essential for nerve signal transmission. Your nerves use sodium to send electrical signals throughout your body.


Enables muscle contractionSodium helps your muscles contract and relax properly, including your heart muscle.


Supports adrenal functionYour adrenal glands rely heavily on sodium to function. When sodium is low, your adrenals struggle, and you feel exhausted.


Maintains pH balanceSodium helps regulate the acid-base balance in your blood and body fluids.


Without adequate sodium, your body can't function properly. You'd experience muscle cramps, fatigue, confusion, low blood pressure, and in severe cases, life-threatening complications.


But here's the catch: most people aren't sodium deficient. In fact, most people consume far too much sodium from processed foods.


How Sodium Shows Up On HTMA


One of the most valuable pieces of information on your HTMA test is your sodium level and, more importantly, your sodium-to-potassium ratio (Na/K ratio).


This ratio reveals:

  • How well your adrenal glands are functioning

  • How your body is handling stress

  • Your vitality and energy reserves

  • Your body's inflammatory state


When the Na/K ratio is balanced, you have good stress resilience, adequate adrenal function, and steady energy.


When the Na/K ratio is low (low sodium relative to potassium), it typically indicates:

  • Exhausted adrenal glands

  • Chronic stress overload

  • Low energy reserves

  • Poor stress tolerance

  • Inflammation


When the Na/K ratio is high, it can indicate:

  • Acute stress response

  • Inflammation

  • Potential sodium retention issues


Here's what's interesting: your HTMA sodium level doesn't always correlate with how much salt you're eating. It reflects what's happening at the cellular level, not just your dietary intake.


This is why HTMA is so valuable. It shows you what your body is actually doing with sodium, not just what you're consuming.



The Problem With Most Salt Today


Here's where things get tricky. Not all salt is created equal.


All salt (whether from the ocean or underground deposits) contains contaminants.


These can include:

  • Heavy metals (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury)

  • Microplastics

  • Chemical pollutants (pesticides, industrial chemicals)

  • Other minerals (some beneficial, some not)


No source of salt is completely pure. Even ancient underground salt deposits that formed millions of years ago are now contaminated because pollution travels through air and water currents, seeping deep into the earth over time.


Here's the reality:


Ocean salt is collected from seawater, which is increasingly polluted with industrial chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals. The closer the salt source is to manufacturing hubs (like parts of Asia), the more contaminated it tends to be.


Underground salt deposits (rock salt, Himalayan pink salt, etc.) are mined from ancient dried-up oceans. While people assume these are "pure," they've been collecting pollutants from rainwater seeping into the earth for thousands of years.


Even the most remote salt sources have been accumulating human pollution for over 2,000 years.


What About "Healing Trace Minerals" In Sea Salt?


This is one of the biggest marketing claims in the wellness world: "Sea salt is full of healing trace minerals!"


Let's look at the actual numbers.


A typical batch of high-quality sea salt contains roughly:

  • 0.12% calcium

  • 0.13% potassium

  • 0.45% magnesium


That means one teaspoon of sea salt (the recommended daily intake) contains less than 38mg combined of these three minerals.


Now compare that to actual food:

  • 1 cup of cooked spinach: 30mg calcium, 167mg potassium, 23mg magnesium

  • Half a sweet potato: 35mg calcium, 300mg potassium, 23mg magnesium

  • 4 ounces of ground beef: 28mg calcium, 400mg potassium, 25mg magnesium


In one meal, you'd get over 1,000mg of these minerals from real food compared to less than 38mg from an entire day's worth of salt.


The "trace minerals" in sea salt are insignificant. You're not getting meaningful nutrition from salt. What you are potentially getting is exposure to toxins.


If you want to restore mineral balance, HTMA and a personalized mineral protocol is the way to do it not sprinkling expensive sea salt on everything.





Microplastics: The Hidden Danger In Salt


Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic (sometimes as small as a few micrometers) that have infiltrated our air, water, and food supply.


Research has found microplastics in:

  • Human blood

  • Breast milk

  • Placenta

  • Liver and kidneys

  • Throughout the body's tissues


And yes, microplastics are in salt.


Studies have tested salt from around the world and found microplastics in the vast majority of samples, both from ocean sources and ancient underground deposits.


One study of Spanish table salt tested 21 different samples (from both ocean and underground deposits) and found no significant difference in microplastic content between them. They were all contaminated.


Another study showed that salt from East Asian seas contained about 25 times more microplastics than salt from the Mediterranean or North Pacific.


What does this mean for you? Avoid salt (and other food products) sourced from

highly industrialized areas, especially parts of Asia near major manufacturing hubs.



Heavy Metal Contamination In Salt


Beyond microplastics, many salts contain concerning levels of heavy metals like aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, and lead.


Lead is particularly dangerous. It's highly toxic, accumulates in the body, and has been linked to serious neurological and health issues.


Independent testing of popular salt brands has revealed varying levels of contamination. Some salts marketed as "pure" or "healing" actually contain significant amounts of toxic metals.


This is another reason why HTMA is so valuable. If your test shows elevated aluminum, lead, or other toxic metals, the salt you're using daily could be a contributing source.


What's The Best Salt To Use?


Based on independent testing by toxin researchers (including Dr. Paul Saladino's Animal Based Nutrition Research Foundation and MamaVation.com), here's what we know:


The cleanest salt options (with the lowest levels of heavy metals and microplastics) include:

  • Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

  • Jacobsen's salts


These brands consistently test lower for contaminants than many "fancy" sea salts, pink salts, and other specialty salts.


General guidelines for choosing salt:

  • Avoid salts sourced from highly industrialized regions (especially parts of Asia)

  • Look for salts from the Mediterranean or North Pacific regions

  • Choose brands that have been independently tested for contaminants

  • Don't assume "natural" or "unprocessed" means "clean"


And remember: the goal is to find the cleanest salt possible, not the salt with the most "trace minerals." You'll get far more minerals from real food and your personalized HTMA protocol than you ever will from salt.


How Much Salt Should You Actually Use?


The general recommendation is about 1 teaspoon of salt per day for a healthy adult.

But here's the thing: most people consume far more than this because processed foods are loaded with sodium.


If you're eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods and cooking at home, you can add salt to taste without worrying too much. Your body is pretty good at regulating sodium when you're eating real food.


However, if you're eating a lot of processed or restaurant food, you're likely consuming excessive sodium (and not the good kind).


Signs you might be consuming too much sodium:

  • Bloating or water retention

  • High blood pressure

  • Swelling in hands, feet, or ankles

  • Increased thirst


Signs you might need more sodium (less common but can happen):

  • Extreme fatigue

  • Muscle cramps

  • Dizziness or lightheadedness (especially when standing)

  • Low blood pressure

  • Salt cravings


Your HTMA results will help us determine if you need more or less sodium and whether your body is using sodium properly. This is far more accurate than guessing based on symptoms alone.


What About Adrenal Fatigue And Salt Cravings?


If you're craving salt intensely, it's often a sign that your adrenal glands are exhausted.

When your adrenals are fatigued (which shows up as a low Na/K ratio on HTMA), your body struggles to retain sodium. You lose it more quickly, and your body craves salt to compensate.


Some people with severe adrenal fatigue are told to increase their salt intake to support adrenal function. And in some cases, this can help temporarily.

But here's the key: salt alone won't heal your adrenals.


What your adrenals actually need:

  • Balanced minerals (especially sodium, potassium, and magnesium in the right ratios)

  • Adequate rest and stress management

  • Support for your entire endocrine system

  • Time to heal


Your HTMA protocol will address adrenal fatigue at the root level by restoring mineral balance, not just by adding more salt.



The Bottom Line


Salt is essential for life. Your body needs sodium to function.


But:

  • Most salt is contaminated with microplastics and heavy metals

  • The "healing trace minerals" in sea salt are insignificant

  • Most people consume too much sodium from processed foods

  • The cleanest salt options are better than the fanciest ones

  • Your HTMA results reveal what your body is actually doing with sodium, not just how much you're eating


Use salt to enhance the flavor of your food. Choose the cleanest option you can find. But don't expect it to heal you.


Real healing comes from restoring mineral balance at the cellular level through HTMA and a personalized protocol that gives your body exactly what it needs.


Find Out What Your Body Actually Needs


Stop guessing. Start knowing.


Order Your HTMA Test – Discover your sodium levels, Na/K ratio, and what your adrenals actually need


Book A Free Clarity Call – Have questions? Let's talk.


References & Further Reading


Microplastics Research:


Independent Salt Testing:



 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page