When it comes to salt, no one is unfamiliar with it; it is a necessity for every meal. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), salt is also a long-standing medicinal herb.
Zhang Xing, Deputy Chief Pharmacist at the Zhongwei City Hospital in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, explains that the "Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 11 of the Stone Section, Salt" records: "Properties: Sweet, salty, cold, and non-toxic. Indications: Detoxification, cooling the blood and moistening dryness, relieving pain and stopping itching, and inducing vomiting to treat various illnesses caused by seasonal pathogens, wind-heat, phlegm-fluid retention, and blockage." Modern research indicates that the sodium chloride in salt is an essential substance for maintaining the normal osmotic pressure of human tissues. When ingested, it promotes gastric juice secretion and enhances protein absorption. Absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream, it acts on the kidneys, strengthening their urinary function and increasing diuretic effects. In TCM, salt roasting is also a traditional processing method. The principle "salt roasting guides the medicine to the kidney meridian" means that after being salt-roasted, a herb gains the effect of entering the kidney meridian.
In daily life, salt is also a great remedy for health preservation.
Caring for the throat: In autumn and winter, the dry climate is a peak season for acute and chronic pharyngitis and tonsillitis. In the early stages of illness, salt water can be used for treatment. The method is to use salt water as a morning gargle when you feel slight discomfort in your throat. When the throat is swollen and painful, gargling with strong salt water 5 to 6 times a day can have an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effect.
Natural hemostasis: After a nosebleed, you can use a cotton ball soaked in salt water to plug the nostril, while also drinking a glass of salt water, which can stop the bleeding. For minor internal bleeding in the mouth (such as gum bleeding or bleeding from a fish bone scratch), gargling with salt water can promote blood clotting and act as a natural hemostatic agent.
Fat removal and beauty: Acne patients can dissolve about 20 grams of salt in hot water before bedtime, wash their face with it while it's hot. This not only removes facial oil and gradually reduces acne but also prevents infection and inflammation.
Cleaning and detoxification: When your hands are contaminated with toxic substances (such as sulfur or mercury), rubbing them with salt can clean and disinfect them. If stung by a centipede or scorpion, you can immediately apply a paste of one tablespoon of fine salt mixed with hot water to the affected area to reduce pain and disinfect. When eating various fruits, you can use warm salt water to wash the fruit's surface, then rinse with clean water to remove hidden toxins, serving a cleansing and disinfecting purpose.
Cavity prevention: The fluorine in salt has an anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, and cavity-preventing effect. Therefore, gargling and brushing with salt water in the morning and evening can prevent cavities. For patients suffering from toothache due to "liver fire" (a TCM concept), gargling with salt water can also clear heat, reduce inflammation, and relieve toothache.