Compared to other salts, bamboo salt is higher in minerals including iron, silicon, potassium, and phosphate. Analysis reveals more than eighty trace minerals. And, it’s slightly lower in sodium than pure sea salt.
Bamboo salt is also highly alkaline with a pH of great than 11. In comparison, common table salt has a pH value of 7, and sea salt water has a pH of 8.
Therapeutic Uses for Bamboo Salt
In traditional Korean medicine, a branch of Chinese medicine, bamboo salt is used to treat many common health complaints, including allergies, and for body detoxification.
Researchers have found bamboo salt useful for viral infections, allergies, sinusitis, dental and gum disease, and diabetes. It has a regulating effect on the immune system, balancing T-Helper lymphocytes and inhibiting the body’s immune chemistry that lowers inflammation.
Benefits of Bamboo Salt:
Helps alkalize body systems
Reduces allergic reactions
Helps lower cholesterol levels
Reduces dental plaque and prevents gingivitis (mouthwash)
Lowers inflammation
Clears up sinusitis (nasal rinse)
Prevents bacterial and fungal infections (scrub for skin)
Improves glucose tolerance
Reduces joint and muscle pain (bath)
Lessens sore throat (gargle)
Select peer-reviewed studies on Korean bamboo salt:
Choi, C.H., et. al. Effect of bamboo salk-NaF dentifrice on enamel remineralization. American Journal of Dentistry. 2012. 25: 9-12.
Hwang, Kyung-Mi, et. al. Increased Antimutagenic and anticlastogenic effects of Doenjang (Korean Fermented Soybean Paste) Prepared with Bamboo Salt. Journal of Medicinal Food. December 2008, 11(4): 717-722.
Jeong, Hyun-Ja, et. al. (2011). Specific blockage of caspase-1 activation by purple bamboo-salt prevents apoptosis of auditory cell line, HEI-OC1. Journal of Medicinal Food, 14(1-2): 53-61.
Kim, Young-Sick, et. al. (2013). Surprisingly, traditional purple bamboo salt, unlike other sats does not induce hypertension in rats. TANG. 3(2): 30-34.
Min, B. S., Choi, H. Y., Choi, Y. J., Hong, J. P., Chun, Y. H., & Kang, N. H. (1995). The reducing effects on dental plaque formation and gingivitis of toothpastes containing bamboo salt and several herb medicines. J Kor Dental Assessment, 33, 65-71.
Moon, J.H., et. al. (2009). The intrinsic antimicrobial activity of bamboo salt against Salmonella entertidis. December 2009, 5: 323-327.
Park, Kun-Young, et. al. (2012). Anticancer and antimetastatic effects of bamboo salt. The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 26: 1025.19
Park, Kun-Young, et. al. (2013). Anti-obesity effect of bamboo salt in Vivo. The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 27:630.19.
Shin, Hye-Young, et. al. (2004). Inhibition of mast cell-depend immediate-type hypersensitivity reactions by purple bamboo salt. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 91(1): 153-157.
Shin, Hye-Young, et. al. Anti-inflammatory activity of Korean folk medicine purple bamboo salt. Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology. 25(3): 377-384.
Study on possible side-effects of bamboo salt. (2001). Toxicological Research. 17(4): 273-277.
Xin, Zhao, et. al. (2013). Purple bamboo salt has anticancer activity in TCA8113 cells in vitro and preventive effects on buccal mucosa cancer in mice in vivo. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 5(2): 549-554.
Xu, Kai-Sheng. (2009). Clinical randomized controlled trials of moxibustion with salt in bamboo circle for treatment of periathritis of shoulder. Chinese acupuncture & Moxibustion. 29(1): 77-80.
