- Lucy Bassett
- May 2
- 3 min read
🧂 In Defence of Salt: An Ancient Ally Misunderstood
There was a time when salt was more valuable than gold.
Roman soldiers were paid in it. Our word “salary” is rooted in “sal,” the Latin word for salt. Entire trade routes existed to move salt across empires. And for good reason — without salt, we wouldn’t survive. It preserves food, balances fluids, supports nerves, and fuels digestion.
Yet somehow, in today’s world, this ancient life-giver has become a dietary villain.
We’re told salt raises blood pressure. That it puts us at risk of heart attacks and strokes. That we must cut it out to be “healthy.”
But is that really the full picture?
💧 Salt in the Hospital vs Salt at Home
Here’s something to consider: when you're sick, dehydrated, or in hospital, what’s one of the first things you’re given?
A saline drip — with 9 grams of salt per litre.
That’s more than the entire UK government’s recommended daily intake — yet it’s pumped straight into the bloodstream to help us. No warnings. No fear.
Why? Because salt is essential.
🧬 What the Research Really Says
According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, numerous studies show that reducing salt intake often results in only very slight reductions in blood pressure — sometimes just 1-2 mm Hg. That’s barely enough to make a difference clinically.
In fact, low-salt diets can actually increase stress hormones like renin and aldosterone, which are linked to heart problems — the very thing we’re supposedly avoiding.
Mainstream headlines love a villain. But in this case, salt may be wrongly accused.
🧠 What the Experts Say
Sally Fallon Morell, founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation, doesn’t shy away from the salt debate. She champions unrefined, mineral-rich salts like Celtic sea salt and Himalayan salt — salts that contain magnesium, potassium, and dozens of trace minerals our bodies need.
She says:
“Salt is not the enemy. It’s industrial food, refined sugar, and seed oils that damage our arteries — not the salt our ancestors treasured.”— Wise Traditions Podcast
And she’s not alone.
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, creator of the GAPS Nutritional Protocol, explains that high blood pressure is often a sign of mineral imbalance — especially magnesium deficiency — rather than excess salt. Inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and nutrient-depleted diets are the real culprits behind rising rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
🍖 Salt in Traditional Diets
Before fridges and freezers, our ancestors preserved everything with salt: fish, meats, vegetables. Fermentation — now hailed for its probiotic benefits — depends on salt.
People ate much more salt than we do today. Yet heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure were rare — unheard of, in fact, in many traditional cultures studied by Dr. Weston A. Price in the early 20th century.
What changed?
We removed the salt… and added sugar, refined grains, and seed oils.
Salt Isn’t the Enemy
Salt isn’t something to fear. It's something to respect, choose wisely, and use well.
Choose natural, unrefined salts full of minerals — not chemically bleached table salt. Tune into your body. Let go of the fear-driven messages.
And remember: when someone tries to tell you salt is bad for you… ask why hospitals use so much of it to heal.
🧂 Summary Points:
The reduction in blood pressure from low-salt diets is often tiny — 1–2 mm Hg — and not clinically meaningful.
Low-salt diets can actually raise stress hormones that are harmful to the heart.
Traditional diets were rich in salt and did not cause hypertension.
Natural salts like Celtic and Himalayan salt contain essential trace minerals.
Salt has been essential for survival, food preservation, and health across every culture.
🌿 Final Thoughts: Reclaiming Salt as a Healing Food
It’s time to move beyond the fear and return to wisdom — the kind our ancestors lived by. Salt isn’t something to restrict obsessively. It’s something to choose wisely, respect deeply, and enjoy as part of a whole, nourishing, traditional diet.
So if you’ve been avoiding salt, ask yourself — is it really salt that's the problem, or the processed food it’s hiding in?
Start reading labels. Swap the white table salt for Celtic or Himalayan. And most of all, listen to your body — because it knows what it needs far better than the latest headline.
💬 I'd love to hear from you!
Do you feel better when you include more natural salt in your food or water? Have you noticed a shift in energy, hydration, or mood?
✨ Share your experience in the comments, or send me a message — and don’t forget to pass this on to someone still stuck in the "low-salt is healthy" mindset.