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Cecil replies: The official word is that potassium nitrate (KNO3), more commonly employed as an ingredient in gunpowder, has no therapeutic value as an anaphrodisiac, contrary to legend. Cecil of course believes this. Still, when you look at what the stuff does do, you can see where the idea got started. Saltpeter can cause relaxation of involuntary muscle fiber (for which reason it's used to treat asthma) and it's occasionally prescribed to lower body temperature in cases of fever.
What IS a salt water flush? Salt has long been used as a harmless preservative and disinfectant. The salt in the saltwater cleanse stimulates the body to repair itself in the same way as when you soak an external wound in saltwater or gargle saltwater for a sore throat. Think of the saltwater flush as a bath for the inside of your body, where it draws toxins out from the entire digestive tract.