What is sea salt

Sea salt comes from evaporated salt water, whereas mineral salt is mined from ancient sea beds that crystallized in the Earth centuries ago.

The most popular type of mineral salt is Himalayan pink salt. Table salt can be derived from mineral or sea salt, but is much lower quality. Refined table salt is sometimes harvested from the sea or mined from the earth, but chemicals are always involved in the process. Various chemicals are used to mine the salt and to strip it of all the naturally occurring minerals through a vacuum extraction process.

Then, anti-caking agents and iodine are added to the refined salt. Historically, iodine was added to salt to address common iodine deficiencies in the general population, but this additive is not necessary for most Americans anymore. In fact, there are trace amounts of iodine in natural, unprocessed sea salt, in addition to other beneficial minerals like potassium, calcium, and zinc.

Salt helps transport nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, transmit nerve impulses, move muscles, and keep your heart pumping. Replacing your refined table salt with fine-grain sea salt can therefore help you reduce your sodium intake without compromising on flavor. Close menu. Expand submenu Collapse submenu. Your cart. Close Cart. This is the origin of the word salad — sal is Latin for salt. Sodium is an essential nutrient that people get from added salt and processed foods.

Doctors recommend limiting salt in the diet because too much sodium can contribute to dehydration and heart disease. High blood pressure is a significant concern. In this article, we explore the differences between sea salt and table salt, the health benefits of salt, and which type is healthier. We also discuss how much salt we should have per day. Sea salt comes from evaporating seawater, so it is a natural source of sodium.

Table salt comes from mining salt deposits. Manufacturers then process it into a fine crystal that is easy to mix in food. Chefs use sea salt in some recipes because of its coarse and crunchy texture. Some people also prefer the stronger taste of sea salt. Although people may perceive sea salt to be better for health, it has the same sodium content as table salt.

Some people believe that sea salt has less sodium than table salt, but this is a misconception. A teaspoon of table salt has 2, milligrams mg of sodium. The crystals of sea salt are larger, so fewer crystals can fit in 1 teaspoon.

Since less sea salt can fit in the same volume, people may believe sea salt has less sodium than table salt. Sodium is essential for good health, so people should not eliminate it entirely from their diet.

The sodium in salt helps to control blood pressure and is necessary for nerve and muscle function. People need to eat salt for normal cell function and to maintain the acid balance of the blood. Table salt contains iodine, which is another essential nutrient. People with iodine deficiency can develop goiter and a range of other symptoms. Learn about the signs and symptoms of an iodine deficiency here. A lack of iodine can also cause poor growth and cognitive disorders in children.

Iodine deficiencies are rare in the United States, since many products, including table salt, contain added iodine. However, the risk of low iodine may be higher in Europe and other regions of the world and in people who do not eat dairy, baked goods, or table salt. As this article stated earlier, although sea salt does not have iodine, it naturally contains magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other nutrients.

The amount of these minerals found in sea salt are minimal, and people can get them in more significant amounts from other healthful foods. Iowa Decorah Lake Mills. View map. Posted By. Allyn Wergin, R. Diabetes Education, Nutrition. Recent Posts. Speaking of Health. For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place.

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