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Page 11
eral salt for six months," he wrote, "their average blood pressure reading dropped by eight points systolic and three points diastolic." This reduction, he noted, is close to what physicians expect to see with drugs.
Although the Icelandic salt is not sold in the U.S. or Canada, unprocessed rock salt, which has a similar chemical composition, is sold in health food stores and by mail; unprocessed sea salts, which contain even more minerals and trace elements, are imported from France and Mexico.
American scientists know of only one type of salt, table salt, which is a by-product of the refining process that strips valuable minerals from salt for sale to industry. But research in France and other countries demonstrates the health benefits of natural salt that has its trace minerals intact. According to biochemist Jacques de Langre, Ph.D., high blood pressure often falls to normal levels within a month of a patient's change from refined table salt to unprocessed sea salt. In fact, low-sodium diets have been shown to stress the heart and create mineral imbalances. Low-sodium diets were created in response to the problems said to be caused or exacerbated by kiln-dried, refined table salt, which include high blood pressure, fluid retention and arthritis.
For sources of unrefined rock salt and sea salt, see the Appendix.
Smoking
There is no denying that cigarettes, pipes and cigars are risk factors for heart disease. Several herbs, including the relaxing nervines mentioned later, help

 
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