This subject came up the other day when my friend Styrofoam Sue told me that she had switched from table salt to sea salt since it’s so much healthier and doesn’t contain a bunch of impurities. She went on to say that she heard some supposed health expert lecturing about the dangers of table salt since it’s “filled with sand and glass.” Sue honestly thought that every time she sprinkled some salt on her food that she was doing her body an injustice and perhaps harming it.
True, I’m no salt expert, but after hearing her tout the wonders of sea salt, I decided to volunteer some of my time and do research on this topic. If sea salt truly were healthier, then maybe it would be worth paying ten times as much for it, though I doubted it. Then again, I didn’t actually know where table salt came from, and we always hear that natural is better. This isn’t always the case though.
Nutritional Values of Sea Salt and Table Salt
Since both table salt and sea salt are made mostly of sodium and chloride, they both have the same nutritional value. The main difference is taste and texture.
How Sea Salt Is Made
Very little processing goes into the making of sea salt. They simply take seawater and allow it to evaporate, which leaves minerals behind. These minerals give sea salt its color and flavor.
How Table Salt Is Made
This is the type of salt most people use. Table salt is heavily processed, mined from underground salt deposits, and has any trace minerals removed. It also has non-clumping additives tossed in, as well as iodine to support the thyroid.
Which Salt Has More Sodium?
Both table salt and sea salt have nearly identical amounts of sodium chloride. To stay healthy, the human body needs just a small amount. The recommended daily sodium consumption should remain under 2,300mg. Most people get too much sodium in their diets from processed foods.
Which Salt Is Healthiest?
After doing a great deal of research, I found that there’s no real difference between table salt and sea salt except taste and expense. Some sea salts are incredibly expensive, while table salt is sometimes on sale for less than 50 cents.
In the end, it all comes down to choosing which salt you prefer. Since I’m counting pennies I’ll stick with table salt.
So, what did Sue think about all of this? She’s a tough nut to crack and seems to love her sea salt. However, I did get her to start making her own Green and frugal cleaning products. And, when it comes time for her to buy another container of this pricey staple, I do believe she’ll think twice.