In the world of wellness and longevity, there are countless remedies that are touted as the ultimate health elixirs, many of which have only emerged in recent decades. Yet, the reality is that only the best health elixirs can stand the test of time, and an example of these are tissue salts, which place a strong focus on encouraging the body’s natural healing processes.
Dr. Chiquita Vosloo, who holds an M.Tech in Homoeopathy from the Durban Institute of Technology, is a passionate advocate for natural medicine, especially in family health, paediatrics, and holistic wellness. Chatting to the good doctor during our Instagram series Wednesday Wellness, she explored her homoeopathic approach to healing, as well as the benefits of tissue salts.
Homoeopathic Healing
According to Dr. Vosloo, homoeopaths are practitioners in private practice that have a different approach to illness,
“We look at the body slightly differently from the average from the average GP. The tenet of homeopathy is that we trust the body.”
Dr. Vosloo details that homoeopaths understand that the body knows what it’s doing, and their aim is to support its own healing mechanisms,
“We have a sense that the body knows what it’s doing,” she says, “and we want to encourage and empower people to be able to trust their bodies.”
With that, Dr. Vosloo further describes how homeopathy aims to encourage and empower individuals to better understand and nurture their health rather than relying solely on other interventions,
“I love to emphasize personal responsibility for your… I’m there to facilitate that process and help your body heal itself.”
She adds that it’s our responsibility to look after the system that is our human body and health, and one way to do so is through the use of tissue salts.
What Are Tissue Salts?
In the 1800s, physician Dr. Schuessler was examining human cells under a microscope when he made a startling discovery,
“He realized that when you break down human cells to its absolute basics, you’ll find salts,” explains Dr. Vosloo, “He discovered that if you stimulate those different salts at different times, then certain things will happen.”
Speaking more on Dr. Schuessler’s discovery, Dr. Vosloo details how Dr. Schuessler found that with certain diseases, these salts are out of whack. Also, if you stimulate the body to assimilate and metabolize a specific salt better, then the tissue reaction will reduce,
“As a result of these findings, tissue salts have now been part of people’s natural health journey for over a hundred years.”
Dr. Vosloo is incredibly enthusiastic about tissue salts, especially because they’re a gentle and effective natural remedy that can help support your health, with little to no risk,
“What I love about tissue salts is that you’re not going to damage yourself if you overdose. You can’t interfere with other medication. You can’t take too much, and if you take two together, they’re not going to cancel each other out. There are natural salts that occur in the human body.”
The Best Tissue Salts For You
As mentioned, tissue salts exist in the body, but they are also available in supplement form.
Dr. Vosloo explains that tissue salts are mineral salts in lactose that have been diluted down through a process called trituration, and they’re packaged into little round white tablets, with a milk-sweet taste (as a result of the lactose).
“Tissue salts will never be in a liquid form. They’re always in a solid state, and there are only 12 of them. We do mix them up. Some of them work incredibly well together in combination.”
Each of the 12 available tissue salts serves a purpose in improving your health and longevity, and they do so without the risk of overdose or side effects,
“We’re not actually adding something that isn’t already there, but we’re reminding the body that they need to listen to those specific things and assimilate them better.”
Tissue Salt Number One (Calc Fluor)
You may be struggling with connective tissue elasticity if you frequently experience repetitive stress injuries or are prone to stretch marks,
“If you start exercising and your connective tissue needs help, you’re going to start feeling achy and sore,” Dr. Vosloo explains. As such, tissue salt number one will help your body with the connective tissue damage.
Tissue Salt Number Two (Calc Phos)
If you struggle with recovery time, then Dr. Vosloo recommends tissue salt number two,
“When you get sick, it takes a long time to get better. Or, when you hurt yourself, it takes a long time to heal. This tissue salt works to speed up the healing processes within a cell.”
Tissue Salt Number Three (Calc Sulph)
For those who struggle with conditions associated with the discharge of pus, such as abscesses, boils and pimples, then this would be the best option for you.
Tissue Salt Number Four (Ferrum Phos)
According to Dr. Vosloo, this is a must-have for families due to its dual role in aiding both anemia and inflammation.
“Ferrum Phos is for redness, heat, pain, and swelling of any kind,” she notes, adding that if taken from the onset of symptoms, Ferrum Phos can prevent a mild ailment from escalating,
“If you take tissue salt number four, you put one under your tongue every five to ten minutes, you can stop that sore throat from developing into a full blown runny nose cold. You give your body needs to help.”
Tissue Salt Number Five (Kali Mur)
Allergies are a common ailment and if you, or anyone you know, has tendency towards allergies and mucousness, then tissue salt number five would be the best option for you.
Tissue Salt Number Six (Kali Phos)
Per Dr. Vosloo, tissue salt number six is your nerve nutrient.
“Your nervous system is where your emotions live. If you are mentally and emotionally exhausted, and you just can’t deal any more, that’s where tissue cell six comes in.”
“It’s for mental and emotional exhaustion due to fried nerves.”
Tissue Salt Number Seven (Kali Sulph)
If you’re dealing with dry skin, or sticky, yellow discharge, then you may want to look into tissue salt number seven,
“It’s for any kind of skin condition where there’s dryness. Take winter skin: why do you need hand cream? Why is your body reacting that way? Those minerals are out of balance, and they need help.”
Tissue Salt Number Eight (Mag Phos)
If you struggle with any sort of spasms or cramps, tissue salt number eight will help, assisting individuals with tension headaches, menstrual cramps, and muscle spasms,
“It’s an excellent option for anyone in the family who often gets cramping, colic or IBS attacks.”
Tissue Salt Number Nine (Nat Mur)
Tissue salt number nine is for issues related to water imbalance,
“When you’re dehydrated, and you end up with cracks in your lips, dry skin, dry throat or even water retention. All of these are a result of imbalance in the water system of your body.”
Tissue Salt Number Ten (Nat Phos)
If you struggle with acid in the body, such as heartburn or gout, then tissue salt number ten works really well for this,
“Any time there’s excess acid in the system, tissue salt number ten works very nicely.”
Tissue Salt Number Eleven (Nat Sulph)
The liver works extremely hard as the body’s natural detoxifier, but sometimes it needs some assistance,
“Tissue salt number eleven is the liverish sort of one. We use it for hangovers, when the liver needs a bit of help or you’re experiencing a lifestyle hangover.”
Dr. Vosloo explains that the liver does its job best between five and seven in the morning, so this salt can be particularly helpful for those who feel a bit bloated and miserable in the mornings.
Tissue Salt Number Twelve (Silica)
According to Dr. Vosloo, silica has two uses.
Firstly, it helps the body to eliminate things it doesn’t want, such as acne.
Secondly, it assists individuals who heal very slowly.
Are Tissue Salts A Cure-All?
While tissue salts are a great asset for your longevity journey, Dr. Vosloo emphasizes that they are not a cure-all.
For instance, take a condition like endometriosis.
While homoeopaths may be able to assist with a very specific remedy, created specifically for your symptoms, tissue salts would not be part of the solution,
“With homoeopathic practice, it’s very important that we make sure that the remedy you get matches your specific symptoms. It’s not something we would treat with an over-the-counter product.”
Dr. Vosloo adds that while tissue cells may not help address endometriosis, they can help with the cramping, which would mean that you would take tissue salt number eight.
Living healthily, naturally
If you’re looking to take full control of your health, Dr. Vosloo’s advice is that you own it,
“You need to own it, you need to say this is my body, I’m driving this vehicle. I’m going to take responsibility for any choices that I make.”
With that, if your choices include looking towards tissue salts, Dr. Vosloo recommends starting with tissue salt number four (Ferrum Phos), a staple in her practice, and is “nice to have in your handbag, the car, and the house.”
Watch The Interview
Watch the full interview below to learn more about tissue salts and Dr. Vosloo’s journey with homeopathy.
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