Sea salt simply sounds like a much better choice when it comes to our health, doesn’t it? Pure, natural and less threatening is something we all want when consuming anything. But think again. According to Mayo Clinic Nutritionist, Kathryn Zeratsky, “sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value” (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142). So if that statement is true, why are we still in the dark about the difference between the two? Mostly taste, followed by texture and processing are the major differences. But here’s more about the two in comparison to one another.
Sea salt comes from evaporated seawater versus table salt comes from underground salt deposits.
Sea salt is natural and table salt is processed.
Sea salt has trace minerals which add to its texture and flavor while table salt is processed and has an essential nutrient of iodine added to it.
Sea salt and table salt both contain about the same amount of sodium chloride, a vital life supporting micronutrient that participates in the maintenance and potential of our cell membranes amongst other things.
Sea salt has magnesium, a much needed mineral that has favorable effects on inflammation, moisturizes skin and reduces roughness/irritation in skin’s appearance.
What is important about salt is where our consumption comes from and how we maintain a balanced level in our diet.
According to the American Heart Association, “Sea salt has some health benefits – but won’t lower your sodium content one bit.” From potato chips to hand cleansing, sea salt is popping up everywhere as a preferred choice. And while it is a “naturally better” choice by comparison to table salt, it does affect our overall health very much. Again, the AHA underscores the reality of the sodium content by stating, “There’s absolutely no difference between the two” when it comes to sodium content. Through marketing, advertising and promotion of sea salt, consumers have have assumed that sea salt is preferred over table salt for its sodium content value, causing many consumers to add more sea salt to their meal than they normally should.
Sea salt is a great choice in taste, texture/appearance, health benefits and natural properties. But it’s still contains about the same amount of sodium as salt and should not be increased in our dietary consumption by comparison to table salt.
Resources for this blog include: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15689218, http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HighBloodPressure/PreventionTreatmentofHighBloodPressure/Sea-Salt-Vs-Table-Salt_UCM_430992_Article.jsp
Quick Tips for Wellness: Sea salt and table salt contain about the same amount of sodium.
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