Page 3 - Summer2011

Letters

PARTIAL REFINEMENT than traditionally processed salt. While THE HUMAN ENDOBIOME
Modern nutritional theory claims magnesium and the other minerals are Gut dysbiosis is getting much
that too much dietary salt is unhealthy, beneficial to health in small quantities, needed publicity in Wise Traditions, in
yet does not distinguish between "natu- they can be deleterious in higher quanti- writings and lectures by Dr. Campbell-
ral" sea salt and highly refined commer- ties. [See Fall 2010 Wise Traditions ar- McBride, Elaine Gottschall and vendors
cial salt, which have different chemical ticle on magnesium.] In contrast, highly of probiotics. Dysbiosis is a disease of
compositions and nutritional effects. refined commercial sea salt is almost 100 what? Not the gut. We lack a word.
However, there is even a finer distinc- percent sodium chloride, lacking any of A great letter by Caroline Cooper
tion that can be made about dietary the additional minerals. (Winter 2010), titled “Industrial Food
salt, which many who consume "health Many people mistakenly describe Sickness” needs a better word for “gut
foods" are unaware of. traditionally processed sea salt as "un- flora.” The right word is “endobiome.”
A macrobiotic teacher with whom refined," but this label is inaccurate “Endo” for inner; “biome” for living
I once studied placed a great deal of since it is actually partially refined. One populations. Some use the term “micro-
emphasis on salt in the diet. He biome,” but that term is not
claimed it "balanced" certain specific.
negative characteristics of food, Few would understand
and he recommended taking salt the lymphatic system as
with almost everything, includ- well if we only referred to
ing grains, vegetables, seeds, it vaguely as tissue fluid
nuts . . . and even a tiny amount movement; nor the liver if
with fruit. The theoretical reason we only thought of it as a
for the macrobiotic emphasis brown mass under the ribs.
on salt was that "we" originally Organs and systems need
came from the sea during the names.
process of evolution, and carried Traditional salt-making was a process of partial refinement The endobiome in-
the salty ocean along with us by volves much more than
internalizing it in our blood stream when example of the traditional refining pro- elimination. It functions as an organ of
we colonized the land. cess is practiced on the coast of France, the body, producing nutrients, affecting
Therefore, the recommended so- where ocean water is moved through hormones, contributing to immunity,
dium chloride percentage in dietary salt a series of evaporation pools during and likely performing more functions
should be the same as that which existed which unwanted minerals are gradually yet to be found. It is like a city of many
in the oceans at the time biological life removed. diverse and interacting populations. A
evolved onto the land . . . about 91-94 (Note: Macrobiotics may have the wrongly populated endobiome is a factor
percent, the remaining 6-9 percent made right idea about salt and other aspects in many diseases including obesity and
up of various other minerals. To achieve of traditional dietary wisdom from the heart disease as well as digestive and
this ratio, salt has to be slightly refined, Orient, but the diet as a whole is un- elimination problems. More detailed
as are many traditionally produced sea healthy due to its strict avoidance of all study is described in an article by Bran-
salts from around the world. Salt created but minor amounts of animal food.) don Keim “Gut-Bacteria Mapping Finds
by merely evaporating sea water has less Roger Windsor Three Global Varieties.” See www.
sodium chloride, and a greater percent- Pleasantville, Tennessee wired.com, April 20, 2011.
age of magnesium and other minerals The endobiome has parts, like any

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