Salt Water Gargle

Salt is so ubiquitous in our society today that many people would find it surprising that it has been used as an effective remedy for various health complaints around the world for millenia. In the Mesoamerican region one of the uses of common table salt is in the form of a simple gargle.

To prepare a salt water gargle all that is needed is 2-3  teaspoons of salt (preferably sea salt or rock salt fit for human consumption), warm water and a small cup. the gargle is made by mixing the sea salt in 1 to 2 ounces of water and placing it in the mouth lifting the head and gargling as when using mouth wash. DO NOT SWALLOW THE SALT WATER GARGLE!!! and spitting it out after a 2 minutes or so of gargling (take breaks while gargling). These steps should be repeated 6 times in a day.

The antimicrobial property of a salt gargle lies in the fact that salt naturally draws liquids to itself and acts as a dehydrating agent. When applied as a gargle the salt draws the moisture from inside the offending microorganism shriveling it up and causing it to die. Additionally salt also takes away the moist environmental conditions needed for the microorganism to thrive.

 Photo Acquired From: http://stayhealthyla.org/blog/uploads//2012/02/salt-300x261.jpg

Ashta Nemanha Nuiknew!