About Salty

Elements: Fire, Water
Treat 'Salty' with 'Astringent', ''Bitter', ''Dry'.
Show me 'Salty' ingredients.

Salt and Flavor

Salt brings out the flavor in food and brings enthusiasm for life. It stimulates secretions thus improving digestion. Salt is a laxative breaking up all hard masses in the digestive tract. Salt in excess obliterates all other tastes and causes thirst.

Salt and Liquification

Salt causes water retention, increases blood pressure, and effectively combats dryness in vata. It cleanses the body by breaking up obstructions in all channels. It nourishes the nerve tissue. Salt liquefies kapha mucus in the lungs and sinuses allowing for easier removal.

Salt is used to induce vomiting in pancha karma cleansing therapies. Yogis drink a quart of water with two teaspoons of salt to completely purge the GI tract.

Overuse of Salt

Ayurveda recommends limited use of mineral salts only. Refined salts should be avoided. Excess salt increases flabbiness and wrinkling of the skin. Salt pulls water into the intercellular space through osmosis, separating ojas from the tissues. It delays healing by causing secretions in wounds. In excess salt damages fluids, decreases libido, hardens muscles, damages bones, causes premature aging and spoils the blood.

Salt, the Kidney, and Managing Fluids

The kidneys manage the ocean of water in the body. Vata people with leaky kidneys sometimes benefit from anti-diuretics, like salt, licorice and Rehmannia root. Anti-diuretics help rebuild fluids and counteract the diuretic effect of Vata type ama (toxicity).

Many foods high in potassium, like potatoes, dandelions and beans, are diuretics. Potassium and salt work likes opposites in the body, both in fluid retention and on a cellular level (recall the sodium potassium pump). Salt aggravates kapha. Potassium pacifies kapha.

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