epsom salt

7/28/2019 Epsom Salt

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Epsom Salt:

Epsom - Bath SaltsEpsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate Heptahydrate) is called for in many recipes for making Epsom Bath Salts,

Salt Scrubs, Aromatherapy Treatments, Detox Baths and Soap Making. TheraSoak high mineral epsom salts

will increase the quality of any bath salt or spa treatment recipe.

13 Wonderful Ways to Use Epsom Saltshttp://www.care2.com/greenliving/healing-salt-crystals.html

By Annie B. Bond, author of Better Basics for the Home (Three Rivers Press, 1999).

Oh, epsom salt—who knew that such an uninspiring ingredient could inspire such devotion? Read on for 13ways to use epsom salts, including a relaxing bath, a face scrub and a hair volumizer. It's also a miracle cure,

helping to get rid of splinters and reduce swelling of sprains and bruises. One ingredient fits all!

SIMPLE SOLUTION: I always knew that soaking in a tub full of hot water with a few cups of Epsom Salts

was good for relaxing muscles and drawing toxins from the body, but I could never figure out why. And itwasn't until I spent some time at the Epsom Salt Industry Council web site that I learned that epsom salts—

made of the mineral magnesium sulfate—are also a sedative for the nervous system.

When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body,

sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much

more.

Adapted from the Epsom Salt Industry Council http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/

Note: Check with a doctor before using if you have any health concerns.

Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom salt.

Face cleaner: To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of epsom salt with your regular cleansing

cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/






Homemade skin mask: Apply the mask to damp skin. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac,

1 egg, 1/4 cup of non-fat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. For normal to dryskin, mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt.

Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt toa large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.

Skin exfoliator: Massage handfuls of epsom salt over your wet skin, starting with your feet and continuingup towards the face. Have a bath to rinse.

Remove excess oil from hair: Epsom salt soaks up excess oil from hair. Add 9 tablespoons of epsom salt to

1/2 cup of oily hair shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is dry; rinse with cold

water. Pour lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes, and then

rinse.

Remove hairspray: Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup epsom salt. Combine, cover and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then

shampoo as normal.

Hair volumizer: Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and epsom salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm

mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom

salt to a warm bath, and soak.

Splinter remover: Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.

Homemade Detox Baths

By Annie B. Bond, Care2 Green Living Executive Producer

Baths are wonderfully healing, and it is easy to make your own homemade, detox baths.

Hot water draws toxins out of the body to the skin's surface, and while the water cools it pulls toxins from

the skin, according to Naturopath Dr. Hazel Parcells. Epsom salts augment this detoxification by causing you



to sweat. Other salts—all highly alkaline and cleansing—used in baths include sea salt, baking soda, clay,

and Dead Sea salts.

SIMPLE SOLUTION:

Basic Salt Soak Bath Formula Minerals and salts make the bath water feel silky and leave your skin cleansed and soft.

1 cup sea salts

2 cups baking soda1 cup Epsom salts

1 to 2 tablespoons glycerin per bath

Add Essential Oils for a fragrant, relaxing experience

Combine the sea salts, baking soda, and Epsom salts in a bowl. Stir to blend. Pour 1/4 cup or so into the bathwhile the tub is filling. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons glycerin to keep your skin from drying out (more for dry skin,

less for oily skin) and essential oils of choice.

Preparation time: 2 to 3 minutes

Shelf life: Indefinite

Storage: Glass jar with a screw top

Caution: Do not take hot baths and salt baths (including Epsom salt baths) if you have heart trouble, high blood pressure, or are diabetic.

Salt of the Earth Body Scrub

Adapted from Organic Body Care Recipes, by Stephanie Tourles (Storey Publishing, 2007).

How wonderful to connect with the Earth all over your skin with this sea salt scrub that is also an itch

scratcher par none. Using just the pure gifts of nature, this ultra-invigorating blend is perfect to use in themorning as a wake-me-up as it enlivens all the senses!



SIMPLE SOLUTION: Recommended for all skin types except for those with acne (use with care on sensitive

and environmentally damaged skin).

INGREDIENTS 2 cups sea salt (preferably finely ground, but regular granular will do)¾ cup extra-virgin olive base oil or base oil of choice

40-60 drops peppermint, spearmint, grapefruit, geranium, or rosemary (chemotype verbenon) essential oil

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sea salt and the base oil. Using a whisk, stir to blend. Add the essential

oil drop by drop, blending after each addition.

Spoon into a storage container with a tight-fitting lid.

No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and fragrance, please use within six months.

HELPFUL HINTS: Massage approximately ¼ to ½ cup of scrub onto premoistened skin using circular motions. Rinse.

Use: 1-2 times per week Follow with moisturizer if necessary

Prep time: Approximately 10 minutes

Blending tools: Medium-sized bowl and whisk Store in wide-mouthed plastic or glass jar

Yield: Approximately 2 cups

Healing Salt Crystals

Adapted from "The Herbal Home Spa" by Greta Breedlove (Story Books, 1998).

The easy-to-find ingredients for this wonderful bathing mixture help to relieve soreness and aching joints and muscles. Soothing and relaxing, Healing Salt Crystals draw out impurities from your body and deoderize,

too!

With many of the healing properties of a seaside spa, this formula is perfect for the day after a strenuousworkout, or for any time you need a little healing time-out. If you can't get away to the beach, you can at

least relax in a tub with these lovely crystals.

SIMPLE SOLUTION: INGREDIENTS

1 cup borax

2 cups Epsom salts½ cup coarse sea salt

¼ cup baking soda

¼ cup white clay½ cup dried lavender

10 drops lavender essential oil

1. In a large bowl, mix together the borax, salts, baking soda, and clay, then mix in the dried lavender,

stirring with a wire whisk.



2. Scent the mixture with the oil, mixing well with the whisk. Cover the bowl with a towel and leave

overnight to fix the scent.

3. In the morning, thoroughly mix again and package in jars, zip-seal or muslin bags, or envelopes.

To Use:

Add ¼ to ½ cup healing salt crystals to a tubful of warm water.

The Science of Epsom Salts:

Magnesium is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body, so it'slittle wonder this low-profile mineral is so vital to good health and well being. Magnesium, a major component of Epsom Salt, also helps toregulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and performs a vital role in orchestrating many bodily functions, from muscle control andelectrical impulses to energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

The National Academy of Sciences, however, reports that most Americans are magnesium deficient, helping to account for our society'shigh rate of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies and stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigueand a host of other ailments. The Academy estimates the average American male gets just 80% of the magnesium required for goodhealth, while females get only 70% of their recommended levels. Nutritionists say Americans' magnesium levels have dropped more than50% in the past century.

Making Bath Salts

Making your own therapeutic bath salt is really very simple. SaltWorks

offers a wide range of high quality sea salts and free bath salt recipes.

Bath salts are a wonderful way to implement aromatherapy benefits.

Create your own unique bath salt recipe with essential oils, dried herbs

and colorants. Making these salts for yourself or for your business takes

ttle time and is very rewarding! There are also recipes for makinggreat spa products such as Salt Glows, Bath Bombs, Crystal Potpourri

and Bath Teas!

CAUTION: Essential Oils you should avoid in the

bath include but are not limited to basil, oregano,

thyme, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, black

pepper, and bay (Pimenta and Laurus). Also

avoid any oils that can cause sensitivity to your

skin.

Consult your physician if you have high blood

pressure, are pregnant or have other medical

concerns.

Blending Bath Salts:

Bath Salts: Sea salts and essential oils are a wonderfully synergistic combination. The relaxing properties of hot water complimen

he effects of well chosen salts and essential oils. Aromatic baths can provide relief from stress and anxiety, assist with muscle an

oint pains, and treat the symptoms of more severe skin conditions. Both men and women are enjoying aromatic baths in increas

numbers. The therapeutic benefits of sea salt baths are well known and often recommended by doctors for treating a wide range

medical conditions.

Aroma Therapy: Aromatherapy is the practice of controlled use of essential oils to maintain and promote physical, psychological,

piritual well being. As a holistic medicine, Aromatherapy is both a preventative approach as well as an active treatment during a

and chronic stages of illness.

Essential Oils: Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts distilled from a variety of plant material including leaves, flowe

needles, fruit peels, grasses, wood and roots. These oils, with the exception of Lavender and Tea Tree, should always be diluted i

arrier oil before applying directly to the skin.

Dried Herbs: Many dried herbs possess the same scent and healing properties of their essential oil counterparts. Herbs are popul

additions to bath salts and bath teas and look great in a finished product, one draw back is that it can be messy in the tub. A goo

option is to include an organza bag with your salts to use as a tea bag - the salts melt, the herbs seep in the hot bath water and

once the bag dries it is easy to empty out the herbs and re-use the bag.

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Carrier Oils: moisturizing vegetable oils are commonly used as a "carrier" for essential oils. Most essential oils are too strong to a

directly to the skin and should be diluted 12-30 drops to 1oz of carrier oil. Carrier oils are also combined with sea salts to create

defoliant salt scrubs.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Adding hydrogen peroxide to bathwater increases oxygen available to the body. Hydrogen peroxide baths lea

he body feeling alert and revitalized, like just after a rain shower. This gentle bath is antibacterial, antiviral, and cleansing to the

emotional and energetic bodies. Add six ounces of food-grade hydrogen peroxide to a hot bath and soak for 20-30 minutes. Be

areful in handling this concentrated solution of hydrogen peroxide as it can "burn" or irritate the skin. Diluted in the bathwater,

ine for skin contact.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar baths restore a natural pH to the skin and hair, as well as rejuvenating and building up t

body’s resistance. It helps restore acid mantle protection to the skin, which is lost from swimming and from routine use of soaps

he skin. It thus helps combat “unfriendly” bacteria, fungal overgrowth, and as helpful with vaginal and bladder infections. Apple

ider vinegar baths are soothing to the skin, alleviating itchiness, poison ivy, and sunburn discomfort. As with all hot baths, it cau

he pores to open and aids in general systemic detoxification. Make certain to use pure, unprocessed apply cider vinegar. Use 2-4

ups in a hot bath.

Sodium Bicarbonate: A hot bath with equal parts of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and sea salt assists in detoxification from

exposure to heavy metals and radiation. It is also beneficial for cleansing the theauric field, and for soothing itchy skin. In

ombination, use 1-2 pounds of each. Sea salts is recommended, as opposed to rock salt or common table salt, which are deplete

of nourishing minerals.

Citric Acid: Citric Acid is a key ingredient, along with Sodium Bicarbonate, for bath fizzies (recipe below). It is also great for makiizzy bath salts. The combination creates an effervescent blend that helps release the aroma of your essential oils into the air,

reating an uplifting aromatic bath.

Colorants: FD&C dyes dispersed in liquid or glycerin are popular for adding color to bath salts. Herbs can also be used to create

beautiful natural colors for your salts. Powdered Mica can create beautiful pearl essence salt.

SALT GLOW

1/2 C Bokek™ Dead Sea Salt - Fine

1/2 C EuroSpa™ Sea Salt - Fine

4oz Grapeseed Oil (1/2 cup)

2oz Avocado Oil (1/4 cup)

1 T d-alpha Tocopheral Vitamin E

20-30 drops Essentil Oil Blend

Mix Salts together, set aside. Mix all oils together. Pour oils

mixture into storage jar. Jar should be glass or PET and

have an airtight seal. Slowly add salt and mix well.

Salt Glow should be stored in cool dark place to maximize

shelf life. Adding a drop or two of Rosemary Essential Oil will

help to preserve your scrubs.

BATH TEAS

1/2 C Breton™ Coarse or Breton™ Brut

Sweet Orange Essential Oil

Dried Lavender Buds

Dried Chamomile Flowers

Large 3x5 inch tea bags

(can substitute tea bags with Organza Bags or Muslin Bags)

Add essential oil to salt and mix well. Add dried herbs and

stir to combine. Fill each tea bag with approx 4oz of mixture,

Package individually in plastic to seal in the scent.

To Use: Simply toss one bag into warm bath water. As the

tea bag seeps the salts will melt and the fragrance from the

essential oils and herbs will disperse. When done, throw the

tea bag away!

SALT POTPOURRI

RIO™ Sea Salt Crystals - JumboColorant

Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils

Making Salt Crystal Potpourri is a simple process. The

trickiest part is the coloring of the crystals. You have 3

choices for colorings: Liquid Based, Glycerin Based or Mica

Powders. The liquid based colorings will dry the best,

glycerin will be a nice translucent coloring and Mica gives

you opalescent options. You can also simply rinse the

crystals for a "glass like" look (see Rio Salt Page).

ESSENTIAL OIL BLENDS

3/4 oz Grapefruit & 1/4 oz Eucalyptus Cleansing 1/2 oz Lavender & 1/2 oz Bergamot Soothing &

Relaxing

1/4 oz Lemon grass / 3/4 oz Lime Uplifting

1/4 oz Rosemary & 3/4 oz Spearmint Energizing

3/4 oz Sweet Orange & 1/4 oz

Chamomile

Calm & Happy

1/4 oz Eucalyptus, 3/4 oz Lavender & 6

dps Tea Tree

Cold Relief

1/2 oz Geranium & 1/2 oz Grapefruit Muscle Relief




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Add Fragrance and Color. Crystals out on Parchment to dry.

If you’re using liquid or glycerin colorants, an easy way to

color the crystals is by wearing rubber gloves and rubbing

the color on the crystals. Mica’s you will have to sprinkle

than mist with your fragrance.

Tired

*Always use caution when working with EO's, See basic

guidelines under "Blends".

BATH FIZZIES

1C Ceara™ Sea Salt - Extra Small

1 1/4 C Citric Acid2 1/2 C Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)

Witch Hazel

Essential Oil Blend

Dried Herbs (optional)

Mix all dry ingredients. Prepare molds by sprinkling dried

herbs on the bottom. Moisten mixture with witch hazel and

essential oils using a spray bottle. As soon as mixture holds

its shape, pack into the molds. Use caution DO NOT over

mist! Allow to dry overnight, then remove from molds.

Package in airtight plastic bags.

Try varying the formulas above to create your own signature products!

Scenting Sea Salts: All of the sea salts that SaltWorks™ offers are very easy to

cent. The amount of Essential Oils or Fragrance Oils you will need to use will depend

on the quality of oil and the variety of oil used. For example, you would need more

grapefruit in your salts than peppermint as the mint family is much stronger than the

itrus. The oils will travel easily through the salts. Always store your scented salts in

airtight glass or PET (type of plastic) containers.

Coloring Sea Salts: Be sure to use FD&C approved, or herbal, colorants for bath

alts. It is recommended scenting the salts first and then coloring. Once you mix in

he color, let sit in a sealed container overnight. The color will disperse for a more

even coverage.

Sea Salt Cell: Some therapies call for a Sea Salt Cell or Dead Sea Salt Cell. This is

imply a single bath portion of Sea Salts mixed with Therapeutic grade Essential Oils.

A deep therapy cell will call for 2 lbs of salt mixed with approx. 40 drops of your

hosen EO Blend.

Check out our online store for many types of therapeutic bath salts.

Salt and Good Health

Salt is essential not only to life, but to good health. Human blood contains 0.9% salt (sodium chloride) -- the sameconcentration as found in United States Pharmacopeia (USP) sodium chloride irrigant commonly used to cleanse wounds.Salt maintains the electrolyte balance inside and outside of cells. Most of our salt comes from foods, some from water.Doctors often recommend replacing water and salt lost in exercise and when working outside. Wilderness hikers know theimportance of salt tablets to combat hyperthermia. Oral rehydration involves replacing both water and salt. Expectantmothers are advised to get enough salt. Increased salt intakes have been used successfully to combat Chronic FatigueSyndrome. Dramatic deficiencies (e.g. "salt starvation" in India) or "excessive" sodium intakes have been associated withother conditions and diseases, such as hypertension and stomach cancer. Testing the salinity of perspiration is a good testfor cystic fibrosis; scientists suspect that cystic fibrosis is caused by a deformed protein that prevents chloride outsidecells from attracting needed moisture.

The National Academy of Sciences recommends that Americans consume a minimum of 500 mg/day of sodium tomaintain good health. Individual needs, however, vary enormously based on their genetic make-up and the way they live













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their lives. While individual requirements range widely, most Americans have no trouble reaching their minimumrequirements. Most consume "excess" sodium above and beyond that required for proper bodily function. The kidneysefficiently process this "excess" sodium in healthy people. Experimental studies show that most humans tolerate a widerange of sodium intakes, from about 250 mg/day to over 30,000 mg/day. The actual range is much narrower. Americansconsume about 3,500 mg/day of sodium; men more, women less. The very large percentage of the population consumes1,150- 5,750 mg/day which is termed the "hygienic safety range" of sodium intake by renowned Swedish hypertensionexpert Dr. Björn Folkow. Chloride is also essential to good health. Every substance, including water, can be toxic incertain concentrations and amounts; this is not a significant concern for dietary salt.

Salt and Cardiovascular Health For 4,000 years, we have known that salt intakes can affect blood pressure through signals to the muscles of bloodvessels trying to maintain blood pressure within a proper range. We know that a minority of the population can lowerblood pressure by restricting dietary salt. And we know that elevated blood pressure, “hypertension,” is a well-documented marker or “risk factor” for cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes, a “silent killer.” Cardiovascular events are a major cause of “premature” death and cost Americans more than $300 billion every year inincreased medical costs and lost productivity. Reducing blood pressure can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke –depending on how it’s done.

Some have suggested that since salt intakes are related to blood pressure, and since cardiovascular risks are also relatedto blood pressure, that, surely, salt intake levels are related to cardiovascular risk. This is the “salt hypothesis” or “sodium hypothesis.” Data are needed to confirm or reject hypotheses.

Blood pressure is a sign. When it goes up (or down) it indicates an underlying health concern. Changes result from many

variables, often still poorly-understood. High blood pressure is treated with pharmaceuticals and with lifestyleinterventions such as diet and exercise. The anti-hypertensive drugs are all approved by regulatory authorities such asthe U.S. Food and Drug Administration. To be approved, these drugs must prove they work to lower blood pressure.Whether they also work to lower the incidence of heart attacks and strokes has not been the test to gain approval (itwould take too long to develop new drugs), but the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has invested heavily in such “health outcomes” studies.

Health Outcomes The ALLHAT study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to compare the health outcomesof four classes of anti-hypertensive drugs, all of which had demonstrated their ability to reduce blood pressure in relativesafety. The idea is that blood pressure is only a "surrogate outcome," and we should be more concerned with clinicallymeaningful endpoints. Dr. Jeffrey R. Cutler of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has supervised thestudy and explains its importance: "Trials are based on the notion that different antihypertensive regimes, despite similarefficacy in lowering blood pressure, have other beneficial or harmful effects that modify their net effect on cardiovascularor all-cause morbidity and mortality."

Lifestyle interventions are "antihypertensive regimes" too. For years, the same situation prompting the ALLHAT trialapplied to lifestyle interventions designed to improve blood pressure -- they were untested regarding health outcomes.Certain dietary and lifestyle interventions reduced blood pressure, at least in sensitive sub-populations. Whether they alsoreduced the incidence of heart attacks and strokes had never been tested. Thus, until the 1990s, scientists had nevertested the “salt hypothesis” by documenting whether reducing dietary salt actually reduces a person’s chances of having aheart attack or a stroke. As in the drug “health outcomes” trials, this is now changing. The results have vast public healthpolicy implications. We should not be recommending that everyone change their diets without evidence of some overallhealth benefit.

Even documenting an association of, for example, low-sodium diets with reduced incidence of heart attacks would only bethe first step. Association is not the same as causation. Nevertheless, unless an association is established, we have no

reason to think that a causal link is possible. Of the first nine “health outcomes” studies of sodium reduction, not a singlestudy has found an association in the general population between low-sodium diets and reduced incidence of cardiovascular events like stroke or heart attack.

Here’s what scientists have found:1. An eight-year study of a New York City hypertensive population stratified for sodium intake levels found those on low-salt diets had more than four times as many heart attacks as those on normal-sodium diets – the exact opposite of whatthe “salt hypothesis” would have predicted. (1995)

2. An analysis by NHLBI’s Dr. Cutler of the first six years’ data from the MRFIT database documented no health outcomesbenefits of lower-sodium diets. (1997)

3. A ten-year follow-up study to the huge Scottish Heart Health Study found no improved health outcomes for those onlow-salt diets. (1997)



4. An analysis of the health outcomes over twenty years from those in the massive US National Health and NutritionExamination Survey (NHANES I) documented a 20% greater incidence of heart attacks among those on low-salt dietscompared to normal-salt diets (1998)

5. A health outcomes study in Finland, reported to the American Heart Association that no health benefits could beidentified and concluded “…our results do not support the recommendations for entire populations to reduce dietarysodium intake to prevent coronary heart disease.” (1998)

6. A further analysis of the MRFIT database, this time using fourteen years’ data, confirmed no improved health benefit

from low-sodium diets. Its author conceded that there is "no relationship observed between dietary sodium andmortality." (1999)

7. A study of Americans found that less sodium-dense diets did reduce the cardiovascular mortality of one population sub-set, overweight men – the article reporting the findings did not explain why this obese group actually consumed lesssodium than normal-weight individuals in the study. (1999)

8. A Finnish study reported an increase in cardiovascular events for obese men (but not women or normal-weightindividuals of either gender) – the article, however, failed to adjust for potassium intake levels which many researchersconsider a key associated variable. (2001)

9. In September, 2002, the latest and highest-quality meta-analysis of clinical trials was published in the British MedicalJournal confirming earlier meta-analyses' conclusions that significant salt reduction would lead to very small bloodpressure changes in sensitive populations and no health benefits. (2002)

Controversy Continues For many years, the intense public controversy that has characterized the public policy debate over public health nutritionrecommendations on salt intake has focused on the wrong question. Medical experts, public health policy-makers – andthe public, trying to sort out the issues reading the consumer press – have all focused on the relationship of sodiumintake to blood pressure instead of the relevant question of whether changing intake levels of dietary sodium results inimproved health outcomes. See, for example, recent Salt Institute comments to the (British) Scientific AdvisoryCommittee on Nutrition.

There is no evidence that reducing dietary sodium improves the risk for heart attacks or strokes for the generalpopulation. In 1999, the Canadian Hypertension Society, the Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention andControl, the Health Canada Laboratory Centre for Disease Control and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada issueda joint statement opposing general recommendations for sodium reduction.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has also reviewed the evidence and concluded:"There is insufficient evidence that, for the general population, reducing dietary sodium intake or increasing dietary intakeof iron, beta-carotene, or other antioxidants results in improved health outcomes."

The debate has confused the public. Medical journalists from ABC-TV’s 20/20 to America’s pre-eminent scientific journal,Science, published by the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science, have investigated the sourceof this confusion. The report in Science won author Gary Taubes a top prize from the National Association of ScienceWriters and has also been translated into French.

Taubes concluded: “After interviews with some 80 researchers, clinicians, and administrators around the world, it is safe to say that if everthere were a controversy over the interpretation of scientific data, this is it….After decades of intensive research, theapparent benefits of avoiding salt have only diminished. This suggests either that the true benefit has now been revealedand is indeed small or that it is non-existent and researchers believing they have detected such benefits have been

deluded by the confounding of other variables.”

The Salt Institute is confident that the higher standards of evidence-based medicine will reduce the ongoing controversy,better inform public policy and reduce consumer confusion. For more information about the importance of evidence-basedhealth, you may wish to visit the Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford University (UK) Centre for Evidence-based Medicine, theHealth Information Research Unit (McMaster University) or the Canadian Centres for Health Evidence. Using the latestscience, we can create better public health nutrition policy.

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