As more people become increasingly aware and concerned with food quality, high quality salts are piquing the interest of consumers. After all, salt is essential for a number of vital bodily functions, but if it's contaminated with toxins like microplastics and anti-caking agents, is it still good for you? Fortunately, there's a number of healthy salts on the market to choose from. Read on to learn about the qualities of healthy salt and which type is considered the highest quality salt in the world.

The Qualities of High Quality Salt

The best salt in the world is natural, rich in minerals, free of toxins, and alkaline. Here's what you should know:

Quality salt is natural

Natural salt is significantly healthier than "table salt." Table salt is a highly processed form of sodium called sodium chloride and is the reason salt gets a bad rep. Excessive intake is associated with (and even partially causes) chronic health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. If you're looking for high quality salt, you'll want to opt for natural kinds.

It's rich in minerals

Natural salt can vary in mineral concentration, but the highest quality salts will be contain 70+ minerals, including potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc, silicon, and sulfur, etc. Consuming salt with minerals is important for three major reasons.

• Firstly, the human body needs minerals to function, grow, and develop properly and natural salt contains almost all of the minerals we need.
• Secondly, natural salt’s mineral concentration help us digest and assimilate the foods we eat to maximize their nutritional value.
• Thirdly, the minerals in natural salt promotes the excretion of excess Sodium (Na), contributing to proper mineral balance within bodily fluids. This is important for maintaining proper blood pressure.

It's free of toxins

Most salts - even natural ones - are contaminated with toxins that are detrimental to health. Table salts, for instance, can contain fluoride, anti-caking agents, aluminum derivatives, and MSG (mono-sodium-glutamate) while Himalayan salt and Celtic sea salt often contain toxins such as microplastics and heavy metals. It's alkaline In addition to being natural, rich in minerals, and toxin-free, one should also consider a salt's alkalinity when looking for quality salt. Much of the population consumes acidic foods and beverages—such as sugar, processed grains, meats, highly processed foods, and soda. Having a biological environment that is chronically acidic can put you at risk for health conditions such as weakened immune system, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney stones, and fungal infections. Alkalizing salt is a way to alkalize foods and edge the pH balance toward alkaline.

The Highest Quality Salt: Bamboo Salt

So, is it possible to find a natural sea salt that’s rich in minerals yet free of toxins and has a high pH? Yes, it's bamboo salt! Bamboo salt has been made by Buddhist monks for over a thousand years ago as a health tonic for the Korean people. It's made from natural sea salt gathered off the Western Korean coast that's roasted in bamboo stalks over a pinewood fire at 1472°F for 8 to 15 hours between one and nine times. At this temperature, heavy metals, microplastics, and other harmful compounds are evaporated. Meanwhile, the mineral-rich bamboo stalks infuse the salt with 70+ trace minerals, like sulpur, and other health-enhancing properties. The unique roasting and production process of bamboo salt also makes it highly alkaline. Purple bamboo salt has a pH of 11.5 (common table salt has a pH of 7)! It's safe to say bamboo salt is the highest quality and most premium salt in the world.

Interested in trying bamboo salt for yourself? Visit the PIOR Living online shop to explore our range of products, including authentic 9x roasted purple bamboo salt and 3x roasted gray bamboo salt.

Greta Kent-Stoll is a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner (NAMA), as well as a writer, editor, and Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher.