The Six Tastes - Salty

The six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) are essential in our digestive, assimilation, and elimination processes. Their medicinal qualities can balance and therapeutically value the health of the body, mind, and spirit.

 The Salty taste is associated with seaweeds, sea vegetables, soy sauce, tamari, miso, cheeses, celery, and salts.

Ayurvedically speaking, the salty taste combines water and fire elements, which create moisture and heat. A grain of salt starts salivation in the mouth and the digestive process.

Because of these qualities, it is considered grounding for the nervous system and encourages stability. It also promotes overall growth and muscle strength, keeps the body moist, and helps to maintain the water-electrolyte balance.  

Excess use can overshadow the other tastes and disturb the doshas, causing water retention, thickening of the blood, narrowing of the blood vessels, and high blood pressure. Additionally, Ayurveda believes that excess usage impacts emotions, causing greed and the desire for more flavor.

Many salts are available (article below), but Natural Mineral Salt (sometimes called Himalayan) is cooling rather than heating and is far more balanced for pitta. Its mildness and diverse mineral content help minimize the potential hazards of excess salt. 

Ayurvedic Facts:

Elements: Fire and water 

Gunas: Heavy, oily and hot

Rasa (taste): Salty

Virya (temperature): Heating

Vipaka (after effect): Sweet

Balances: Vata

Aggravates: Pitta & Kapha

Bio-medical actions: Anti-spasmodic, appetizer, expectorant, anti-flatulent, moistener, and is a laxative.