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Sea salt vs. table salt: Which is healthier?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sea-salt/AN01142
- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Sea salt vs. table salt: Which is healthier?
Is sea salt better for your health than table salt?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
No. Sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value, despite the fact that sea salt is often marketed as a more natural and healthy alternative. The real differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste, texture and processing, not their chemical makeup.
Sea salt is produced through evaporation of seawater, usually with little processing, which leaves behind certain trace minerals and elements depending on its water source. The minerals add flavor and color to sea salt, which also comes in a variety of coarseness levels.
Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits. Table salt is more heavily processed to eliminate minerals and usually contains an additive to prevent clumping. Most table salt also has added iodine, an essential nutrient that's lacking in naturally occurring sea salt.
By weight, sea salt and table salt contain the same amount of sodium chloride. Your body needs only a very tiny amount of salt to stay healthy. Most people get far too much — mostly from processed foods. So regardless of which type of salt you prefer, use a light hand with the saltshaker. And limit total sodium to less than 2,300 milligrams a day — or 1,500 milligrams if you're age 51 or older, or if you are black, or if you have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.
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- Most Americans don't understand health effects of wine and sea salt, survey finds. American Heart Association. http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1316. Accessed May 31, 2011.
- Drake SL, et al. Comparison of salty taste and time intensity of sea and land salts from around the world. Journal of Sensory Studies. 2011;26:25.
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-PolicyDocument.htm. Accessed June 13, 2011.
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