Salt on GAPS: Natural Forms, Labels and Cooking Uses

GAPS prefers natural crystal salt or whole, unprocessed sea salt rather than refined table salt. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride explains that preference through the mineral composition of the salt.^[1] For shopping and cooking, it helps to separate the product you choose from the amount and the method in a particular recipe.

The Distinction in the GAPS Book

The book contrasts refined sodium chloride with natural salt containing other minerals and trace elements. It names Himalayan crystal salt and whole, unprocessed sea salt such as Celtic salt as examples of the forms it favors.^[1][3]

For a label check, look at what the product is and how it is processed. A product called “sea salt” is not necessarily the whole, unprocessed form described in the book. Brand names and color alone do not replace that check.

The Mineral Argument

Campbell-McBride describes sodium as working alongside potassium, calcium, magnesium and other minerals. Her explanation connects excess refined sodium chloride with water retention, blood pressure, swelling and circulation problems.^[2] That is her argument for choosing a whole natural form.

The chapter gives a preferred salt form. It does not give an individual daily amount.

Choosing a Whole Natural Salt

Use the actual product description and ingredient list to identify natural crystal salt or whole, unprocessed sea salt. Those are the forms the book names.^[3] A seasoning mixture may contain other ingredients that need their own GAPS check.

That mineral context is why Campbell-McBride favors natural crystal salt and whole, unprocessed sea salt. Keep the form preference with the amount in the complete recipe.

Salt in Stock and Fermented Drinks

Natural salt appears in the book’s meat-stock method and in the official FAQ’s fermented-drink and electrolyte discussion. Our chicken meat stock recipe and beverage guide keep those uses attached to a complete preparation or a source-defined category.

Rachael Mamane’s general stock technique recommends adding salt at the end of simmering, after any reduction, because the ingredients and concentration affect the final flavor.^[4] The GAPS Intro meat-stock recipe specifically adds natural salt at the beginning.^[5] These are different instructions in their respective methods. Follow the complete GAPS stock preparation being used rather than silently combining the two schedules.

What Should I Check in a Seasoning?

Read beyond the word “salt.” Check the full ingredient list for sugar, starch, flavorings or other additions. A plain salt and a prepared seasoning mix do different jobs in the pantry. Use our ingredients-to-avoid guide for the wider label check.

Check the Product and the Recipe

Identify the salt you have, then use the amount and timing from the complete recipe. If a stock is being concentrated, its final seasoning needs to be judged at that strength. For fermented foods, keep the recipe’s salt amount attached to its whole method.

The Home Product Label Red Flags card and Kitchen Ratio & Conversion Cards are listed in my WFLI Shop.

References

1. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Salt,” refined and whole forms.
2. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Salt,” mineral and water-retention explanation.
3. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Salt,” crystal and whole sea salt.
4. Mamane, Rachael. Mastering Stocks and Broths (2017), chapter 7, “Add Salt.”
5. Campbell-McBride, Natasha. Gut and Physiology Syndrome (2020), “Implementing the GAPS Introduction Diet,” Stage 1 meat-stock preparation.