Technical data

SOLO®, a Low Sodium Sea Salt, provides the food industry and consumers with the potential to reduce sodium levels while retaining practically the same taste and functionality as ordinary salt. SOLO® contains the vital minerals potassium and magnesium in "near perfect proportion", according to health professionals.

The human body requires 3-5 g of ordinary salt (sodium chloride) per day. However in the developed world, 10-15 g per day or more is often consumed through industrially produced foods and in general household preparation and cooking. This over consumption of sodium is a major cause for concern as salt in these concentrations can be toxic and can result in health problems such as:

  1. The blood circulation system: hypertension, thrombosis, apoplexy, kidney failure.
  2. There is an assumption that the risk of cancer is related to an over consumption of salt.
  3. The body has to dispose of any surplus quantity of sodium.

However as part of this process other essential mineral salts such as potassium, magnesium and trace elements are also excreted. This exposes the consumer to a number of disorders caused by mineral deficiency. It is difficult to compensate for this deficiency by adding minerals in the correct proportion as a surplus of some minerals can lead to the excretion of other essential minerals.

A physiologically acceptable mineral salt should have a composition similar to the minerals in the extra cellular fluids in the body. Then the risk of mineral deficiency is eliminated or reduced as the surplus would be excreted in the same proportion, but without the trace elements being excreted. The key benefit of SOLO® Low Sodium Sea Salt is based on the fact that sea water has a relative mineral composition almost identical with that of the blood, with the added benefit that sodium and chlorine ions are present in surplus.

Replacing ordinary salt with SOLO Sea Salt will result in:
a reduction in the sodium intake of 60% the natural mineral balance of the body is not disturbed by a sodium intake which, although reduced, might still be in excess of the daily requirement, whereas: normal sodium chloride would deplete all other minerals, normal mineral diets will often drive out some minerals, a consumption of low mineral water in large quantities will wash out all minerals in general.

Why Potassium?
There is plenty of scientific evidence which shows that potassium exerts a positive effect against the toxicity of sodium, particularly in reducing blood pressure and the risk of apoplexy.

Why magnesium?
The body requires about 300-500 mg of magnesium per day, but the daily intake in industrialized countries is often only less than 200 mg. Deficiency may lead to risk of cardiovascular diseases and sudden coronary death. For these reasons and as the over consumption of ordinary salt drives out magnesium from the body, it has been suggested that magnesium should be added to table salt.

Interaction between magnesium and potassium.
In clinical practice great emphasis is placed on potassium loss and also magnesium loss has recently been recognized as important. Scientific studies have shown that magnesium loss predisposes potassium loss and that raise in the potassium level is difficult to obtain if the magnesium level is deficient. Administration of magnesium restores potassium stores.

Medical testing of the SOLO® Low Sodium Mineral -Sea Salt on hypertension
The Erasmus University in Holland has found (1) that this Mineral-Sea Salt offers a valuable non-pharmacological approach to lowering blood pressure in mild to moderate hypertension, especially in older people: Hypertension is common among older people, and changes in diet are recommended as initial, non-pharmacological measures to lower raised blood pressure. In this study a fall in blood pressure of 8 mm Hg systolic and 3 mm Hg diastolic was achieved by replacing common salt by this Low Sodium Mineral-Sea Salt.

The diet in the trial remained largely unchanged, and the alternative salt and foods were palatable and well accepted by participants. In the initial management of raised blood pressure it may be easier and more effective to provide a Mineral-Sea Salt than to get patients to restrict salt intake or to take a pure potassium chloride salt substitute.

The test was made by the Medical Faculty and designed as a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial of 100 men and women between 55 and 75 years of age with untreated mild to moderate hypertension. (1) Geleijnse, J.M. et. al.: Reduction in blood pressure with a low sodium, high potassium, high magnesium salt in older subjects with mild to moderate hypertension. British Medical Journal, Vol. 309, August 13, 1994, pp 436-40.

TYPICAL ANALYSIS of SOLO® Sea Salt:
SOLO® is an all natural sodium reduced, magnesium and potassium enriched sea salt which, whilst containing 60% less sodium than ordinary salt, tastes and functions almost as ordinary salt It is a nutritionally interesting composition of essential minerals and it contains no additives, which makes it an ideal ingredient in all foods aimed at the nutrition and ecology conscious consumer. In terms of health and functional foods, this Low Sodium Sea Salt has been proved by the Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Holland to reduce the blood pressure for people with mild to moderate hypertension.