For centuries, bamboo salt has been a quintessential part of traditional Korean medicine. It's believed that bamboo salt can improve digestive, oral, eye, skin, and immune health with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To understand bamboo salt benefits, it's firstly important to understand how bamboo salt is made.
Bamboo Salt Sourcing and Preparation
Honoring ancient Buddhist monk traditions, Korean bamboo salt is crafted over 25 days in small batches using hand-harvested sea salt from the Western coast of Korea. The sea salt is then sun-dried and deposited into 3-year-old bamboo pillars and sealed with red clay collected from deep in the Korean mountains. Next, the bamboo pillars are placed in an iron kiln and roasted over a pinewood fire at 1472°F for 8-15 hours until the bamboo is incinerated and a white salt pillar remains. The salt pillars are ground, re-sealed into new bamboo stalks. For 3x roasted gray bamboo salt, the process is repeated 2 more times. For 9x roasted purple bamboo salt, the process is repeated 7 more times, and on the ninth firing, a resin fire at (above) 2732°F is used.
Bamboo Salt Benefits
Due to the high heat at which bamboo salt is roasted, it is free of heavy metals, micro-plastics, and other harmful wastes and toxins that are typically found in conventional salt. In addition, the careful roasting process involving nutrient-rich bamboo infuses the salt with sulphur and therapeutic properties for immense medicinal potential. Here are some of the major benefits of bamboo salt:
Alkalizes foods and the body
Bamboo salt is highly alkaline (the purple variety has a pH of 11.5), which means it can help neutralize acidic food and have an alkalizing effect on of the body. This is important because an acidic body is associated with disease and health issues.
Source of bioactive minerals
Bamboo salt contains a wide range of bioactive minerals such as K, P, Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Cu, Ba, V, Mn, Zn, Ge, Mo, Se, Pt, S, Sr, B, Li. These minerals are essential for the production and activation of enzymes and biological activities. Bamboo salt also has a chemical composition which is very similar to that of our bodies.
Functions as an antioxidant
Bamboo salt stimulates antioxidant activity, which is key for eliminating free radicals. Free radicals are connected to most modern diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer, etc.
Enhances nutritive benefits of food
Bamboo salt’s mineral concentration helps to move nutrients to cells, increasing the pharmalogical effects of food.
Replenishes electrolytes
Bamboo salt is particularly effective at replenishing electrolyte balance because it has lower conductivity than other salts and due to its small size, is rapidly absorbed through the cell membranes. This helps to regulate the electrolyte concentration of the body. In addition, the minerals in bamboo salt, such as potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, help promote the excretion of excess Sodium (Na), thus contributing to proper mineral balance within bodily fluids.
Improves immune function
Compared to other salts, it is more effective at assisting the body in eliminating harmful viruses and bacteria.
Has cancer-fighting properties
One study demonstrated that bamboo salt can weaken cancer cells and tumor volume in mice treated with purple bamboo salt. Further studies suggest that bamboo salt may be an effective treatment in cancer therapy due to its ability to reduce tumor growth and increase survival rate of mice with cancer-related tissue damage. Researchers suggest that bamboo salt’s anti-cancer activity is connected to its capacity as an anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-aging, and immune-enhancing substance.
Where to Get Bamboo Salt
Interested in trying bamboo salt? In the coming months, you’ll be able to purchase both authentic 9x roasted purple bamboo salt and 3x roasted gray bamboo salt from the PIOR Living online shop!
Greta Kent-Stoll is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (NAMA), as well as a writer, editor, and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher.