Jason Fung, M.D., on Pink Salt FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Here's how to make the viral trend work wonders for your waistline

- ALLISON NEMETZ

Millions are buzzing about pink salt’s slimming power. Is the internet right about every claim? No. Yet bestselling Obesity Code author Jason Fung, M.D., swears by the stuff. So does Heather Shuker, 49. “I was obese my entire life,” shares the Pennsylvania mom. “Pink salt made my hunger go away, which finally made it possible for me to lose weight.” Today, she’s 75 pounds lighter. Keep reading to learn how Heather harnessed the power of pink salt—and how you can too.

Mined from ancient seabeds around the world, pink salt gets its pretty hue and subtle sweetness from traces of iron and up to 83 other minerals. That said, “it’s still mostly sodium chloride, just like table salt,” notes Dr. Fung.

So, yes, TikTok’s viral pink salt drink—a mix of pink salt, water and lemon juice—is just fancy salt water. But that’s not a bad thing. “For years, the prevailing view was, ‘the less salt the better,’” Dr. Fung says. Then in 2013, a CDC-commissioned report on sodium was released. “It found that studies don’t support very low-salt diets. Too little salt can negatively impact certain body systems.” This made Dr. Fung wonder if low salt intake might work against people using his famous intermittent fasting approach.

How salt can kill hunger