If you’ve seen tissue salts in the shop but have no idea what they are or how they work, we’ve got all the answers
Written by Helen Foster on January 30, 2019
Reviewed by Carolina Brooks on February 1, 2019
Tissue salts were developed in the 19th century by a doctor and physicist called Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler who believed that each cell of the human body contained 12 specific minerals, and that these minerals needed to be in balance for optimum health.
If an individual mineral was lacking, specific symptoms would appear in the form of illness, so Schuessler designed tissue salts to maintain or restore balance.1
So, what are tissue salts?
They are preparations of minerals found in our cells, in a combination that easily dissolves in the body. Only tiny amounts of each mineral are used in each formula; just 0.5mcg per tablet.2 Schuessler’s theory was that micro-doses were more readily absorbed by the blood and then into the body’s tissues and cells, than the larger doses found in mineral supplements.3
They’re not homeopathic remedies but the manufacturers say they are homeopathically prepared in 6x potencies. This means that while they are diluted, they are not as dilute as most homeopathic remedies.
Fans of tissue salts take them for a range of conditions, such as supporting bone health, mood, fever, nerve pain, muscle cramps, digestive issues, water retention, and skin problems. They are suitable for the whole family.
The different tissue salts
There are 12 different tissue salts, each thought to support a different part of the body. These include:4
- Calc Fluor – calcium fluoride, found in your teeth, bones and connective tissues
- Calc Phos – calcium phosphate, found in bones and teeth
- Ferr Phos – ferrous phosphate, or iron phosphate, which is in blood
- Kali Phos – potassium phosphate, needed for the nervous system
- Kali Sulph – potassium sulphate, found in skin cells
- Nat Mur – sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt, is part of your body’s fluid regulatory system
- Silica – silica is found in connective tissue
You can also take tissue salt combinations that have been formulated for a range of different conditions including hay fever, anxiety or circulatory issues such as cold feet.
What’s the evidence for tissue salts?
Tissue salts are often criticised by scientists because it’s thought that the amounts included are too small to have any effect in the body. There is very little scientific research into the benefits of tissue salts to contradict this so, as a result, it’s suggested that they are unlikely to have any noticeable results over and above placebo.
However, anecdotally, many people use them, and say they are gentle but do have an impact on their symptoms.
How to use tissue salts
Tissue salts are normally sold in a lactose tablet containing the right amount of salt needed to rebalance the body. They can also be found in liquid form. The tablets are not swallowed, but rather you chew them or let them dissolve inside the mouth so the salts are absorbed via the mucus membranes.5
If you’re using tissue salts to address a specific symptom and imbalance, take up to six tablets a day in a regime of one dose every 30 minutes until symptoms subside. For maintenance, a dose of one tablet four times a day is suggested for adults and half a tablet four times a day for children under 18.
What are the side-effects?
Tissue salts are considered safe to be taken before, during and after pregnancy. They are also safe for children.
Because the amount of minerals in tissue salts are highly diluted, there are unlikely to be any side-effects from normal use, and they do not interfere with medications. However, talk to your GP, or other health professional, if you’re interested in taking them while on any medication.
Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP before trying any remedies.
Sources
1. Schuessler Tissue Salts. Dr Schuessler
2. Schuessler Tissue Salts. Calc Fluor
3. As Source 1
4. Pat Thomas. Natural Health News. Tissue salts – nudging the body back into balance
5. Schuessler Tissue Salts. Products
