Sea Salt and Table Salt

One of the new trendy health food items is sea salt. The claim is that sea salt is better for people because there is less processing involved. Packaging from all sorts of different foods and even restaurants proudly proclaim "made with sea salt!" as if it's a much better thing. But is it really any better?

As with nearly all elements of food, what's in the media or popular at the time might change. Not long ago, there was the switching from high fructose corn syrup back to real sugar as if real sugar was healthier. There's always the debate about eggs, which seems to switch from healthy to unhealthy and back within a couple years. So, what's the difference between table salt and sea salt? Is there a difference?

There is a difference in the salt and how it's made. Table salt is mined from land deposits, whereas sea salt is salt that has been collected after the water from a salt water body has been evaporated. Sometimes, these bodies of water are oceans or seas, sometimes they are salt lakes, and sometimes they are just salt water ponds created by the salt manufacturer. Table salt is processed to remove any other elements from the salt crystals, as well as usually adding iodine and a non-clumping agent. The other elements that can be found in salt (magnesium, calcium, etc.) are left in with the sea salt. These elements can give sea salts slightly different flavors and colors.

Different salt colors from around the world

Seems pretty different, right? Well, not exactly. The elements can adjust the taste somewhat and color, but if you look at the amount of sodium chloride (NaCl), the element that gives salt its taste, you will note that the amount of NaCl in table salt and sea salt is the exact same. Some people like to think and say that sea salt is a lower sodium alternative to table salt, when in actuality, it's exact same amount of sodium.

The only real differences turn out to be the minerals in the salt and the texture. The other minerals in sea salt may give sea salt a slightly different taste, but the minerals are in such a small quantity that the health benefits are negligible. Table salt has a uniform texture, whereas sea salt usually doesn't, but that's more appearance than health benefit.

So which is better? The Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association agree that table salt and sea salt are the exact same when it comes to nutritional value. However, taste and texture can be different. So in the end, follow the researchers and don't give in to the media hype. Also remember that high uses of sodium (whether it be table salt or sea salt) can lead to health problems, so try not to have too much of either.