I was fortunate enough to have spent my childhood in a city that was within an hour’s drive of the Pacific
Ocean. My parents often chauffered us kids to the beach on hot summer weekends as a way to cool down. I was an active youngster, climbing trees, taking spills on bicycles and scooters, and turning cartwheels on the lawn, so I often suffered scraped knees and elbows. A mystery always of fascination to me was that one day of playing in the ocean would heal a wound that would have taken several days to disappear otherwise. My mother said it was the salt water of the sea and I guessed she was correct. Though nowadays, unfortunately, with environmental problems such as they are, I don’t know if the oceans still hold the healing properties they once did, but I like to believe that, away from large centers of pollution, they probably do.
Salt often gets a bad rap, because humans have a tendency to overdo their intake. But our bodies require it to keep our electrolytes balanced. Without salt, we would soon die. The trick is to keep your cellular salt (sodium) and potassium levels in balance. A little trick I have learned: If I’m having a salty snack or meal, I chug-a-lug a big glass of orange juice shortly thereafter. That seems to help keep me from retaining too much fluid.
Following are some other uses for salt that I think you might find interesting:
NASAL LAVAGE
An ancient Indian (ayurvedic) treatment for allergies, sinusitis, or other causes of a stuffy nose is nasal saline irrigation. A saltwater rinse for the nasal passages is safe, cheap and effective remedy for chronic nasal inflammation. Several recent studies have concluded that a twice-daily saline rinse can be very effective in helping to cut down on medication use and shortening downtime caused from colds or the flu. “Saline irrigation won’t reverse an infection, but it helps remove mucus from the nasal cavity,” explains Andrew Lane, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Sinus Center. (See the neti pot above.) Rinsing regularly clears out allergens and bacteria, and cause cilia (the tiny hairs in the nose that push mucus along) to work more effectively. Try Googling for neti pots to get more information.
SALINE SPRAYS
Saline sprays are a gentle way to help heal any minor wound and can be found in any drugstore. Body piercing establishments often encourage the use of these sprays several times a day on a new piercing to help it heal successfully.
DENTAL CARE
My dentist recommends using a paste made of baking soda and salt to brush with (tastes terrible but it works), and a salt-water rinse made with water as hot as you can stand to help heal sore gums.
OTHER LITTLE-KNOWN HOUSEHOLD USES
• You can remove dirt from greens such as spinach or Romaine lettuce by swirling them in a bowl of salted water.
• Get rid of excess soap bubbles when hand-washing dishes or clothing by sprinkling a pinch of salt in the soapy water.
• Clean a greasy pan by shaking salt into it before washing. The salt absorbs most of the grease.
• If you still use an iron occasionally and it builds up a sticky residue, you can get rid of the gunky stuff by sprinkling salt on a brown paper bag and running the hot iron over it.
• To prevent frost from building up on the inside of windows, rub them with a sponge dipped in salted water.
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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.
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