Salty Goodness

Salt often gets a bad reputation when it comes to health.

But, if you understand the basis of salt and how it works in the body, that sullied reputation takes on a new light.

In chemistry, salt is an acid base in an ionic bond. In cooking, salt refers almost exclusively to sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is the base salt in hospital IVs and in cooking.

The salinity in our blood matches that of the sea when creatures crawled out to become land dwellers many eons ago.

We need salt in our bodies so the electricity generated by the heart can pump blood through the body. Salt is a major component of your body's electrolytes.

In fact, the term salary has salty origins... people were once paid in salt. That's how you can be "worth your salt."

Salt was the primary preservative before refrigeration. Your ancestors consumed plenty of salt. The body is built to put it to use.

Salt isn’t the problem. Processed foods are. You can cut down on your sodium by cutting down on your consumption of processed foods.

Refined salt has trace minerals removed and sold off to supplement companies. The trace minerals in salt are good for you. Consuming an unrefined salt gives your body the salt and some of the minerals it needs.

Darryl Bosshardt of Real Salt joins Dr. Mike to share some salty goodness and talk about his favorite salts.