Tag: minerals

All about Soda and Mineral waters

Today I’m writing about Soda and Mineral waters.

I was recently asked if I had read anything about carbonated water being bad for our teeth. I hadn’t, so I thought that this would make a good topic to research and write about.

There are very few scientific studies or research articles on this topic, however I will share what I found.

First, what is soda water?

Soda water or carbonated water (also known as sparkling water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas. This is either artificially injected under pressure or occurring naturally due to geological processes. Carbonation causes small bubbles to form, giving the water an effervescent quality.

What is mineral water?

Mineral water can be flat or sparkling and contains dissolved minerals such as potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, or potassium sulphate. These occur naturally in some mineral waters but are also commonly added to some manufactured waters.

Do the bubbles affect our teeth?

The School of Dentistry at University of Birmingham, conducted an investigation of mineral waters and soft drinks in relation to dental erosion.

The results concluded that the carbonation of drinks is not an important factor in regards to dental erosion. The main cause of dental erosion is the added sugars found in many carbonated drinks. Unsweetened mineral and soda waters are safe for our teeth.

The carbon dioxide and water actually react chemically to produce carbonic acid. This very weak acid stimulates the same nerve receptors in our mouth activated by spicy condiments, like mustard and horseradish. These nerve receptors create the burning, prickly sensation.

There are in fact some health benefits in drinking soda and mineral waters.

The health benefits
  • Studies suggest that sparkling water may improve swallowing ability by stimulating the nerves responsible for swallowing.
  • Carbonated water can trigger a greater sensation of fullness, which may help you to eat less.
  • The minerals that are in mineral water can be quite beneficial to our health. Minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium, all of which promote blood circulation. Magnesium and calcium also help with building and maintaining strong bones.
  • Soda or mineral water hydrates you just as well as still water. This makes sense, considering that these are just regular waters infused with bubbly carbon gas.
What about Tonic water?

Tonic water is also a carbonated water that contains minerals. However, tonic water also contains quinine, which gives tonic water a bitter taste. However, tonic water is also commonly sweetened with either high-fructose corn syrup or sugar to improve the taste. This makes it the least healthy of the carbonated waters.

(Sources: https://www.healthline.com/, https://science.sciencemag.org/, https://www.sciencedirect.com/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/, https://www.webmd.com/)

Well, I hope that this post answers any questions you may have had about carbonated waters.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Using Tissue Salts for wellness

Today’s post is about Tissue Salts.

Several years ago when I was suffering from a head cold, someone suggested I try Tissue salts to ease the symptoms. Recently Scott feel victim to a head cold and decided to try the tissue salts. He found that they really made a difference.

We did some research into these little pills to better understand how they work.

It turns out that these tissue salt pills are homeopathic preparations of minerals found naturally occurring in the human body. They’re inexpensive and seem to be able to help with just about every common ailment from colds and flu to headaches and hangovers.

 What are they?

Tissue salts, also known as “cell salts” or “biochemistry salts”, are the same minerals that are found in rocks and in soil. These tissue salts exist on the border between homeopathic and nutritional medicine.

According to Biochemical therapeutics, the integrity, structure, and function of the body’s tissues and organs are dependent on necessary quantities of certain cell salts. These ‘cell salts’ are therefore integral functioning parts of each individual cell and of the body as a whole.

 The history behind them

Dr Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler was a doctor of medicine, a physiological chemist and a physicist.

In 1873 he developed the Schuessler Tissue Salts using a unique system of cellular therapy,

Schüssler deducted that the tissues or cells of the body can be broken down chemically into twelve inorganic mineral salts. Disturbances in the levels of these salts cause disease. He established that restoring the accurate balance of tissue salts in the body would remove the symptoms of illness and restore health.

He also believed that the body needed only very small doses to nudge it gently back into balance. Dr Schuessler found that a homeopathically prepared micro dose was the most effective way for the body to assimilate these salts. The dose passes rapidly into the bloodstream and therefore into our cells.

Wikipedia states that biochemical cell salts are alternative remedies, based on inorganic salts that were elaborated by Scheussler. They are not classed as homeopathic remedies.

There is no evidence of medical trials in regards to Tissue salts. Nevertheless, many people swear by them.

 Who can use them?

To ease various conditions, you can take an individual tissue salt or a combination.

One of the major benefits of tissue salts is that they’re very safe. I did not find any information regarding side effects. However, as with most health matters, it’s always best to check with your health practitioner beforehand.

That said, tissue salts are generally suitable for everyone from babies to diabetics and even animals.

I hope that you found this information helpful as we did.

 Till the next post,

 Live clean n Prosper

Salt – is it bad for you?

Today’s post is about the myth that ‘Salt is bad for you’.

There is a lot of information available in regards to salt and health. I found many health articles reporting on how bad salt is for our health. Conversely, there are also an equal number of articles reporting that it is good for our health.

So what is right?

There are 2 million medical articles published every year regarding our health and sorting out this information was a challenge.

The fact is that the human body needs some salt for good health. Consuming too much may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for other diseases. Too little and the body also suffers.

The trick is to consume a moderate amount. Statistically, many people are consuming too much ‘hidden’ salt. The rise in processed, packaged and canned foods are the issue as they usually contain added salt.

Water and Real Salt are essential for life

 The first thing doctors will do in hospital is put you on a life saving saline drip. We were born out of a water salt sack into a world that is 73% water salt solution and have a body that is 73% water and a brain that is 85% water.

The human body contains many salts, of which sodium chloride is the major one. This makes up around 0.4 per cent of the body’s weight at a concentration pretty well equivalent to that in seawater. So a 50kg person would contain around 200g of sodium chloride (approx. 40 teaspoons).

Sodium is a vital nutrient. It helps to maintain fluid balance and cardiovascular function. Sodium is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, always bringing water along with it. It is the major mineral in plasma, the fluid component of blood, and in the fluids that bathe the body’s cells. Without enough sodium, all these fluids would lose their water, causing dehydration, low blood pressure, and death.

Fortunately, it only takes a tiny amount of sodium to prevent this scenario. The body, in its wisdom, can make do with remarkably small amounts of sodium. In fact, some isolated population groups in the world manage perfectly well on just 200 mg a day. And when dietary salt is in short supply, the body can conserve nearly all its sodium, dramatically reducing the amount excreted in urine and shed in sweat. Remember that water always follows sodium, and you’ll understand why your skin is dry and your urine scant and concentrated when you are dehydrated and conserving sodium.

To be sure its supply of salt and water is just right, the body has developed an elaborate series of controls. The blood vessels and brain signal the kidneys to retain or excrete sodium as needed; they also fine-tune the sensation of thirst so you’ll provide water in amounts that match the body’s sodium supply.

How much should we consume?

The National Health and Medical Research Council set an ‘Adequate Intake’ of 460–920 mg of sodium per day. This corresponds to 1.15 – 2.3 grams of salt. Most Australian adults have a daily salt intake of about 10 grams. A ‘Suggested Dietary Target’ of 1600 mg of sodium (equivalent to about 4 grams of salt) has been set for Australian adults.                                             (Sources – www.chriskresser.com www.nutritionaustralia.org www.health.harvard.edu )

 

The best way to ensure a moderate salt intake is to consume less processed and packaged foods. Only add salt when cooking or at the table. Choose a less processed salt, therefore also gaining some trace minerals.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper