From bloating, weight gain, water retention, having excess salt has been linked to health problems. But, celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar feels otherwise.

In one of her recent posts on Instagram, the famed nutritionist talked about the need to bring back the diversity of salt and not simply cutting back on our salt intake in a day. We explain to you the benefits of the same.

How many types of salts can you have?

As per Ayurveda, we can enjoy 6 different tastes - sweet-bitter, sour, astringent, pungent and salty. And salt, as we all know, remains to be one of the most important ingredients in cooking. Various types of salts have also been used for ages for their medicinal values.

In fact, you will be surprised to know that yogis use 5 types of salt in their daily routine to progress in their yoga practice. The five salts used by them include saindhava, samudra, suvarchala, vida and romaka. The use of these salts can benefit us in various ways. Some of the benefits include.

- Helps in keeping the nerves strong - Maintain the electrolyte balance in the body - Helps in reducing bloating and cramping - Helps with digestion issues, including IBS

Not only are they rich in nutrients and health benefits, we tell you some super simple ways to include them in your diet: Saindhava

Usually called sendha namak, saindhava salt is used for cooking during fasting days. It is used for cooking arbi, suran, rajgira, kuttu, aloo etc.

Samudra
Also called sea salt or jaada namak, samudra salt is used to soak dals and pulses. It is also used for bathing.

Suvarchala (black salt)

Black salt is used in sherbets, for gargling and for making chutneys

Vida and Romaka salt

These two salts are used for therapeutic purposes.
Other ways salt helps us
Salt helps in the digestion, assimilation and excretion of the food. This is why, when one is constipated, they crave more salt.

Eating less salt makes you crave for meetha
Having a low salt diet can make you crave more for meetha. Why does that happen? As per Ayurveda, the after taste of salt is madhura (sweet) and thus when we have less salt in our meals, we crave something sweet later.

What about iodised salt?

Bringing back the diversity of salt doesn't mean that one should cut back on or not use the iodised salt. One must continue having the iodised salt and also include other salts in their daily meals. Not including a variety of salts, makes you miss on a variety of health benefits.

Verdict

Salt is no villain and must be a part of our daily diet. Make sure to include at least four types of salt in your regular diet including black salt, table salt, sea salt and rock salt.

What you should remember

Avoid eating packaged food items. Because when you do that, you consume too much more salt than you need, without even realising it.