How salt affects a person may depend upon quality, quantity, and context.
E.g.,  type and amount of salt used and the type of diet followed.  On a
diet rich in fresh vegetables and fruits (high in potassium), salt will have
a different affect than in a diet deficient in vegetables and fruits.  Btw:
It is a myth that bananas are the ideal source of potatssium.  Many leafy
and fibrous vegetables are rich in potassium. Even many types of white meat
fish contain a sizable amount of potassium (in the 300 mg. range if I recall
right) in a 4-ounce portion.

Many people with high blood pressure are told to restrict sodium intake;
however, at least half of the people who adopt a reduced sodium diet do not
experience a reduction in blood pressure.  According to an article in the
popular magazine *Health* (September 1995), researchers at Cornell
University Medical College and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine
studied hypertensive men who were taking anti-hypertensive medications.
They found that those who ate less than a teaspoon of salt a day suffered
over four times as many heart attack as the group which consumed more than
two teaspoons of salt per day. Thus, salt restriction not only did not
provide benefit--it actually was associated with an increased mortality!

Most food grade salt sold in the U.S., whether sold in a supermarket or
health food store, comes from vacuum-pan production: a high pressure method
of boiling down salt brine flushed out of salt veins (salt mines) then kiln
dried at high temperatures (1200š F) which alter its flavor, potential and
properties.  This salt is refine, and stripped of its natural minerals.  Its
composition is nearly 99.9% sodium chloride.  Fillers and anti caking agents
(calcium silicate, magnesium carbonate or magnesium chloride, dextrose) are
added to stabilize the iodine which is added and as a dessicant, to prevent
clumping, along with aluminum.

Unrefined, sun dried, mineral-rich sea salt has a slightly gray color and is
a slightly wet and often coarse and chunky.  It contains no added iodine
(only what is naturally found in sea water), chemicals, stabilizers,
free-flowing agents, aluminum or dextrose. It contains as many as 83
different trace minerals, including magnesium. Though present in small
quantities that may seem insignificant, these minerals, which are absent
from refined salt, can enhance digestion, assimilation, and numerous other
metabolic processes.  This salt  contains  less sodium chloride than
commercial sea salt (86% sodium chloride vs. 99.99%).

Celtic Sea Salt (hand harvested by an age old process) is a brand I have
used for about 10+ years.  Before that I used Lima or Mitoku sea salt.  This
can be ordered by mail or found in the Macrobiotic section of health food
stores.  The flavor of foods prepared with such sea salt is noticably
different (less sharp, richer, sweeter) than from than refined sea salt.
It's amazing.

Rachel