Salt has always been viewed as being very valuable. In ancient Greece, slaves were traded for salt - hence the expression "not worth his salt." Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt (salis) and their salarium is the origin of our word "salary". "Soldier" actually comes from the Latin (sal dare), which means, "to give salt".

About 100 years ago, French physicians reported that restricting salt and salty foods benefited patients with fluid retention and hypertension. The real question is there a difference in salts? What is the difference between iodized table salt, kosher salt and those fancy sea salts? You could literally fill an aisle at a grocery store with hundreds of different salts.

As a chef I know that these salts all taste and act different. And some of them are even different colors like Hawaiian Red Salt and some salts are grey and even yellowish. About a a year and a half ago I wrote an article about how tuna is not tuna. I researched all the tunas and made a recomndation for tunas with very low mercury content. So you guessed it, I am now going to point out some remarkable benefits and facts of certain pure sea salts.

Types of salt: when you buy salts you have a choice between iodized table, kosher, iodized sea or pure sea salt. Regular table and kosher are processed very similar. They are heated at temperatures in excess of 800 degrees. Then they add free-flowing additives, “ when it rains, it pours”. Some sea salts also go through this extreme processing. By doing this the salt is stripped of any natural minerals or enzymes.

But imagine salt harvested from clean ocean areas, then dried at low temperatures without the chemicals and additives. Some of these salts have been analyzed to have up to 80 different trace minerals. Minerals that are essential for your health.

Dr. Batmanghelidj writes that “a salt free diet is utterly stupid”. In his book, Your Body's Many Cries for Water (www.watercure.com), he outlines all the benefits of consuming mineral rich holistic sea salt. Dr. Batmangheligj is not alone with his viewpoint on holistic salt. Dr Mercola writes, “Salt is essential for life - you cannot live without it”. However, most people simply don't realize that there are enormous differences between the standard, refined table and cooking salt compared to mineral dense raw holistic salt.

In the past several years a new salt has emerged. This is Himalayan Salt. This salt from the Himalayas is known as "white gold" because it contains eons of stored sunlight. Together with pure spring water, Himalayan Crystal Salt offers all the natural elements exactly identical to the elements in your body - the very same elements originally found existing in the "primal sea."

Containing all of the 84 elements found in your body, the benefits of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt include:

1. Regulating the water content throughout your body.

2. Balancing excess acidity from your cells, particularly your brain cells.

3.Balancing your blood sugar levels and helping to reduce your aging rate.

4. Assisting in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.

5. Absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.

6. Help in clearing mucus plugs and phlegm from your lungs - particularly useful in asthma and cystic fibrosis.

7. Acts as a strong natural antihistamine and helps clear up congestion in your sinuses

8. Prevention of muscle cramps.

9. Making the structure of your bones firm - osteoporosis can occur when your body needs more salt and takes it from your bones.

10.Regulating your sleep - it is a natural hypnotic.

11.Maintaining your libido.

12.Preventing varicose veins and spider veins on your legs and thighs.

13.Stabilizing irregular heartbeats - in conjunction with water it is actually essential for the regulation of your blood pressure.

These 13 nutrition notes where complied from http://www.mercola.com/forms/salt.htm

I guess the world of salt has just gotten a bit bigger. Remember that the cost and quality of salts are directly related. Spend the extra few dollars and buy a salt that is not only making your food taste good, but that is good for you.