Black salt (kala namak) benefits and side effects

Each and every one among us has sometime or the other suffered from the problem of acidity and heartburn, which is mainly caused due to the improper production of stomach acid or consumption of fried foods and carbonated beverages.

Black salt is full of alkalising minerals, one being magnesia (MgO). Being basic in nature, magnesia aids in neutralising the acid present in the body. In fact, milk of magnesia is one of the best antacid present in the market.

It also helps in preventing acidity as it maintains the balance of stomach acid being produced.

Black salt is not only beneficial for your health but also it provides some benefits for your toddlers. Loaded with minerals, black salt enhances the immune system of the child and also increases their red blood cell count.

It also removes intestinal gases, improves digestion and eliminates excess phlegm from the body and hence it is good for babies above one year of age. However, black salt should not be given in excess to toddlers.

Anaemia is a condition marked by a lack of healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin in the body. The major symptom of anaemia is fatigue and headache. Though a variety of factors may be responsible for the development of anaemia, iron-deficiency is one of the major causes of anaemia.

Black salt contains small iron which helps in the formation of haemoglobin and thus aids in alleviating iron/ haemoglobin deficiency symptoms.

(Read more: iron deficiency treatment)

Black salt's anti-inflammatory properties and coarse texture help heal cracked heels, swollen feet and even sprain. It removes dead skin cells, without drying your skin.
In addition, it also acts as a cleanser that helps open clogged pores and provides a glowing skin. 

Adding a pinch or two in lukewarm water, and bathing with it results in the removal of toxins from the body. Also, the minerals present in black salt are absorbed by the body through the process of osmosis. This helps in rejuvenating your skin and also prevents dryness, itching and irritation.

Using black salt for scrubbing prevents the occurrence of acne.

In traditional medicine, black salt along with tomato juice is also effective in treating dandruff.

The minerals present in black salt helps to prevent hair fall and strengthening hair shafts. It is also good for reducing split ends.

(Read more: Home remedies for hair fall)

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and it is responsible to control the sugar level in blood. A person suffers from diabetes when his/her body is incapable of producing insulin properly, or the body has become resistant towards insulin. Such patients are either administered with medicines or with insulin injections.

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, low sodium causes a reduction in insulin secretion in the body. Hosting a good source of sodium, regular consumption of black salt helps in improving the production of insulin and thus maintaining the blood sugar levels.

Serotonin and melatonin are the two hormones which help you to feel good and sleep well at night. Black salt helps in preserving both of these hormones, this assists in dealing with stress, thus invoking happiness and inducing a proper sleep at night.

Furthermore. black salt reduces cortisol and adrenaline, which attenuates stress. Together with the increase in pleasure hormones, this makes it effective in treating some types of depression.

(Read more: Sleep deprivation causes)

A basic balance of sodium-potassium is required to maintain proper functioning and movement of the muscles.

Black salt contains both sodium along a small amount of potassium, which are essential for muscles to work properly. It not only contains potassium but also helps in its absorption through food.

Thus black salt proves to be very effective in reducing muscle spasm and cramps.

Hot Fermentation with black salt also helps in reducing cramps and joint pain.

Osteoporosis is one of the major bone-related problems, which is caused when the body starts to draw sodium from the bones.

Yes, apart from calcium, bone is also composed of sodium, and interestingly 1/4th of all sodium content in the body is stored in the bones, where it helps to maintain bone structure.

Black salt, being rich in sodium, helps to replenish the deficit of sodium in the body and therefore in preventing osteoporosis.

Salt therapies originated way back during ancient Greek civilization, and it used to be known as halotherapy. It may go by a different name but it still holds all of its benefits for your health and well being.

According to ayurveda, inhalation of salt clears the nasal passage and also the throat.

In 1843, Feliks Boczkowski, a polish scientist noticed that salt ore miners did not suffer from lung or respiratory disorders, then later Karl Herman Spannagel, a German scientist noticed that when people who hide in salt mines had an improved lung quality.

This brought halotherapy to the modern world.

Salt therapy is done within a chamber mimicking a salt cave environment. The salt absorbs moisture while inhalation and thus helps in thinning of mucous and removing excess of mucous from the respiratory system.

The trace elements present in the black salt also helps in killing the microorganism present in the lungs.

This technique is effective in reducing the symptoms of common cold, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sinus and hay fever.

Black salt increases the solubility of the digestive enzymes and helps in the disintegration of lipids.

It increases the digestion rate and provides more nutrition to cells of the body as compared to the normal table salt.

Additionally, it acts as a stimulant for the production of bile juice and enhances its function, that is digestion and absorption of fat. Also, it prevents fat molecules from getting accumulated in your body. It also prevents the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the body.

The mineral content of this salt acts as an antibacterial, thereby, helping in the detoxification of your body.

(Read more: Diet chart for weight loss)

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Himalayan black salt or the Indian black salt is a good cooling agent and has many therapeutic advantages over the traditional table salt. In fact, most of the Indian Churanas used as a digestive aid contain black salt as one of its primary ingredients.

It is a good laxative since it improves digestion and alleviates intestinal gas. Thus it is used to relieve constipation and bloating. (Read more: Home remedies for bloating)

Black salt balances the natural production of acid in the stomach and increases the production of bile juice by the liver which is again good for improving the digestion process.

(Read more: How to improve digestion)

Regular consumption of sea salt increases water retention in our body, thereby increasing the blood pressure, which gives more strain to arteries, heart, brain and kidneys. This, in turn, increases the risk of conditions such as heart attack, stroke, dementia and kidney disease. This is because of the presence of a high amount of sodium in sea salt.

Due to its low sodium content, black salt provides an excellent alternative for sea salt. It is also rich in various minerals like calcium, iron and potassium.