Sole water is simply a jar of water saturated with pink Himalayan salt, from which you add about a teaspoon to a glass of plain water. Below you will find how to make it, how much people usually drink, and the part most recipes skip: how much sodium that teaspoon really holds and how it compares with the ¼ teaspoon drink in our book.
In brief:
- Sole water is salt dissolved in water until no more will dissolve.
- The usual serving is 1 teaspoon of sole in a glass of water.
- That teaspoon holds roughly 500 to 600 mg of sodium.
- Dietitians say the health claims lack solid evidence.
- High blood pressure, kidney or heart problems, pregnancy: ask your doctor first.
In this article · 9 min read
- How to make sole water (the recipe)
- How much sole water should you drink?
- How much sodium is in a teaspoon of sole?
- What the evidence says about the benefits
- Sole water or the book's ¼ teaspoon drink?
- Where the book fits
- Who should skip sole water, and when to ask a professional
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
In plain words, sole water is a saturated salt solution. The Cleveland Clinic describes it as a drink made by saturating pink Himalayan salt in filtered or distilled water, and its dietitian adds that the benefits fans claim for it are not backed by science (Cleveland Clinic, June 2024). WebMD reaches a similar conclusion: there "isn't much conclusive evidence" for its possible benefits, and more research is needed (WebMD, October 2024). So think of it as a very salty flavouring for water, not as a health shortcut. If you still want to try it, here is how to do it with measures.
How to make sole water (the recipe)
Makes: one 500 ml jar of concentrate, enough for many servings. Time: 5 minutes of work, then 12 to 24 hours of resting. Difficulty: very easy.
Ingredients
- Coarse pink Himalayan salt, enough to fill a 500 ml (2 cup) glass jar about one quarter full, roughly 150 g (5 oz)
- Filtered water, about 350 ml (1½ cups), enough to fill the jar almost to the top
Method
- Put the salt in a clean glass jar with a lid. Choose a lid that is not metal, because salt water corrodes metal.
- Pour in the water until the jar is nearly full, close it and shake well.
- Leave it on the counter for 12 to 24 hours, shaking now and then.
- Check the bottom. If every grain has dissolved, add a spoonful more salt and wait a few more hours. The sole is ready when a little salt stays undissolved at the bottom: that means the water cannot take any more.
Healthline gives the same method, filling about a quarter of a jar with salt and adding salt until it stops dissolving (Healthline, updated July 2023). Cleveland Clinic describes the mix as roughly 1 part salt to 4 parts water (Cleveland Clinic, June 2024). Because there is always some salt left over, the exact amounts do not matter. What matters is that the water is saturated, and that is also why a teaspoon of it is so strong.
Many guides say the jar keeps for a very long time because the salt is so concentrated. Even so, if it turns cloudy or anything floats in it, throw it away and start again with a clean jar.
How much sole water should you drink?
The usual serving in these guides is 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of sole stirred into a glass of water of about 250 ml (8 oz), once a day, often in the morning. WebMD gives the same dose (WebMD, October 2024). Healthline adds that no recommended dosage has been established (Healthline, updated July 2023). If you want to try it, start with half a teaspoon, taste it, and never drink the concentrate straight.
The glass should taste only faintly salty. If it tastes like sea water, you have added too much. Add water, not more sole.
How much sodium is in a teaspoon of sole?
This is the number that decides whether the habit makes sense for you. Water dissolves about 360 g of table salt per litre at 25 °C (Wikipedia, sodium chloride). A saturated solution is therefore roughly a quarter salt by weight and a little heavier than plain water. Working it out, a 5 ml teaspoon of sole carries about 1.5 g of salt, which is about 500 to 600 mg of sodium. That is our own estimate, not a measured figure, and it matches what a dietitian told the Cleveland Clinic: a glass likely "nets more than 500 mg of sodium" (Cleveland Clinic, June 2024).
For comparison, WebMD lists about 420 mg of sodium in 1.5 g of pink salt, roughly ¼ teaspoon of dry salt (WebMD, October 2024). Pink salt is still mostly sodium chloride, so it counts like any other salt.
| What you add to a glass | Salt | Sodium (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| ½ teaspoon of sole | about 0.75 g | about 250 to 300 mg |
| 1 teaspoon of sole | about 1.5 g | about 500 to 600 mg |
| 2 teaspoons of sole | about 3 g | about 1,000 to 1,200 mg |
| ¼ teaspoon dry pink salt (the drink in our book) | about 1.2 to 1.5 g | about 420 to 600 mg |
So one teaspoon of sole is almost the same as the ¼ teaspoon of dry salt in the book's morning drink. The difference is that sole is easier to over-pour, because a "splash" can quietly become two or three teaspoons.
Now put it in the context of a whole day. The World Health Organization recommends less than 2,000 mg of sodium a day for adults, which is less than 5 g of salt, or just under a teaspoon (WHO, May 2026). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites less than 2,300 mg a day and says that over 70% of the sodium people eat comes from packaged and prepared foods, not from the salt shaker (FDA). One teaspoon of sole is therefore about a quarter of the WHO limit, on top of bread, cheese, soups and sauces.
What the evidence says about the benefits
Online, it is said to help with energy, sleep, digestion and blood pressure. The sources above are cautious:
- Minerals: pink salt contains other minerals only in trace amounts, too small to matter for nutrition (Cleveland Clinic and WebMD).
- Hydration and sleep: WebMD mentions a study of runners where sodium-containing water kept them better hydrated, and a study linking a very low sodium diet to disturbed sleep. It still concludes that evidence is limited.
- Weight: salt water has no calories, but nothing shows that it makes you lose weight. We make no promise about weight, energy or sleep.
- Healthline: sole water has not been tested in humans, and it is not a better source of sodium than ordinary salt or food.
The Cleveland Clinic dietitian's verdict is blunt: adding salt to your water is "counterproductive". That does not mean a teaspoon will harm a healthy person. It means you should not expect more than a salty glass of water.
Sole water or the book's ¼ teaspoon drink?
| Sole water | Dry pink salt drink | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | A jar made 12 to 24 hours ahead | Stirred in on the spot |
| Typical serving | 1 teaspoon of sole in 250 ml | ¼ teaspoon of salt in a glass |
| Sodium | About 500 to 600 mg | About 420 to 600 mg |
| Risk of pouring too much | Higher, because it is a liquid concentrate | Lower, because you level a measuring spoon |
| Taste | Faintly salty | Faintly salty, often with lemon |
If you want a simple measured option, the level-spoon version is easier to control.
Where the book fits
The Pink Salt Weight Loss Trick for Women by Zoe Patton is our book. It does not teach sole water: its morning drink is a glass of water with ¼ teaspoon of pink salt and the juice of half a lemon, and the drinks in its Recovery group (recipes 51 to 60) use ¼ teaspoon of pink salt each. It is a 21-day plan with 70 simple recipes, 40 for food and 30 for drinks, and it has a full chapter on safety that lists who should avoid pink salt and keeps total sodium to about 2,300 mg a day from all sources. The book calls pink salt "a supportive ingredient, not a cure-all", and despite its title we promise no weight loss. If you like the idea of small, measured salt habits rather than a jar of concentrate, the book gives you the plan, the recipes and the cautions together. You may also like our pink salt trick recipe and our electrolyte drink recipe.
Who should skip sole water, and when to ask a professional
Talk to a doctor, pharmacist or dietitian before drinking sole water if any of these apply:
- you have high blood pressure or take medicine for it;
- you have kidney disease, heart failure or another heart condition;
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding;
- you take diuretics or have been told to follow a low-sodium diet;
- the drink is for a child or an older adult.
Healthline also says that people with high blood pressure, kidney disease or heart failure should avoid it. Stop and speak to a professional if you notice swelling in your hands, feet or around your eyes, strong thirst that does not go away, headaches or dizziness. For more practical guides, visit the Books Go blog and the Books Go Publications home page.
Frequently asked questions
What is sole water?
Sole water is water saturated with pink Himalayan salt. You make a jar of concentrate, then stir about a teaspoon of it into a glass of plain water. It is essentially salt water, which is why dietitians focus on its sodium.
How do you make sole water?
Fill a glass jar about a quarter full with coarse pink salt, add filtered water, shake and leave it for 12 to 24 hours. If some salt remains undissolved at the bottom, it is ready.
How much should you drink a day?
The usual serving is 1 teaspoon of sole in a glass of water, once a day, but no recommended dose has been established. Count its roughly 500 to 600 mg of sodium in your daily total.
Is it good for you?
There is little solid evidence for the benefits people claim. Cleveland Clinic and WebMD both say the evidence is weak, and the extra minerals are tiny. It is mostly sodium, so it can be a poor fit if you need to limit salt.
Can you drink it on an empty stomach?
Some guides suggest it first thing in the morning, but there is no proven advantage. If salt upsets your stomach, drink it with or after food instead, or skip it.
How much sodium is in sole water?
About 500 to 600 mg in a teaspoon of concentrate, by our estimate. A glass made with it is close to the sodium in ¼ teaspoon of dry pink salt.
Is it the same as the pink salt trick?
They are cousins. Both use pink salt in water, but the pink salt trick adds a measured ¼ teaspoon of dry salt and lemon to a glass, while sole water uses a pre-made saturated solution.
Sources
This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from a doctor, dietitian or other qualified professional.
