Ayurvedic Perspective on Salt

Do you like it salty?

Lavana rasa or the salty taste is made from the water and fire elements.

Lavana rasa is balancing for Vata dosha but aggravating for Pitta and Kapha.
Salt is renowned for stimulating the digestion. If it is used wisely it is a medicine but when taken in excess it becomes a poison.

The Ayurvedic properties are:
Rasa (taste): salty
Virya (potency): heating apart from saindhava which is cooling
Vipaka (post digestive effect): sweet
Guna (qualities): heavy and wet
Dosha: increases Pitta and Kapha, Balancing for Vata

(The Ayurvedic properties vary according to the different type of salt)

Salt aids digestion, increasing the absorption of nutrients from our food. The taste works directly on the taste receptors and clarifies the sense of taste.
Higher dose can work as a laxative or emetic.

In the yogic practice of sankharpraksalana utilises the osmotic properties of salt to clear toxins out of the mucous membrane prior to purgation (Swami Satyananda).

Different types of salt

Table salt
the kind that is often used for commercial cooking, is highly processed using various chemicals and is the least nutritious form of salt. It also contains a very high sodium concentration, which contributes to high blood pressure, kidney disease, oedema, inflammation, amongst other things. For these reasons, it is not recommended to consume table salt.

Sea salt
is processed by evaporation or desalination. Evaporation is a natural process whereby water is simply evaporated from sea water to leave the salt. Sea salt is higher in minerals than table salt. For this reason it is considered to be healthier for us. Always choose a sea salt that is naturally harvested.

Rock salt
such as pink Himalayan rock salt, is mined from rocks. Pink Himalayan rock salt is even higher in minerals, which is what gives it it’s pretty pink colouring.
Rock salt is called saindhava lavana and this is considered the best among all salts.

Saindhava is of two varieties
1. Shweta saindhava – white in colour
2. Rakta saindhava – red in colour

Indian black salt (or kala namak, or Himalayan black salt)
It is used in India, Pakistan and other Asian countries. Black salt starts out in the mountains of Pakistan, it is considered a volcanic salt. It is high in trace minerals, especially iron and magnesium. In Ayurveda it is used to treat flatulence. It can also be used as a mild laxative and digestive aid. Be aware of the sulphur smell 😉

Ayurvedic Actions of salt:

Deepana: appetite stimulant
Amapachana: digests toxins
Bhedaniya: purgative
Slesmala: increases kapha and mucous
Anulomana: causes Vata to move downwards.

A good quality salt is so important in our diet, unfortunately the overconsumption of cheap chemicaly processed salts is contributing to many lifestyle diseases.

5 Tips:
1. Choose a good quality rock salt
2. Limit intake of table salt and processed food
3. Avoid excess salt
4. Add salt to your foot bath
5. Add salt to karpooradi thailam (camphor oil) and apply on chest – acts as a bronchodilator

With love from Lakshmi Ayurveda
ph: 0406810547
email: info@lakshmiayurveda.com.au

* 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘎𝘈. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘺𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘯. 𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴.