The Healthiest Kinds of Salt: These Contain More Nutrients and Less Sodium

Since salt is an essential ingredient, knowing which type is healthiest is important.

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The Healthiest Kinds of Salt: These Contain More Nutrients and Less Sodium — (Shutterstock)

By Flora Zhao

3/19/2024

Updated:

4/15/2024

0:00

Part 1 - Salt Deficiency Could Be Life-Threatening; Here Are the Lesser-Known Dangers

The detrimental effects of high salt intake on the heart are undeniable, but surprisingly, consuming too little salt can also increase heart disease risk.

Sodium is an essential micronutrient for maintaining life functions, and some people don’t take enough. However, most people consume too much of it, which can have negative effects.

Of the sodium we consume in daily life, 70 percent comes from processed foods or restaurants. For example, the salt in one pizza can reach nearly 2 teaspoons (10 grams), while a Chinese meal contains about 8 grams.

From this perspective, cooking at home using natural ingredients may be the best way to control salt intake. Since salt is an essential ingredient, knowing which type is healthiest is important.

Natural Salt Contains More Minerals

Understanding the sources and processing methods of various salts is paramount for making an informed choice.

Table salt comes in many varieties, including sea, lake, rock, and well salt. Sea and lake salts are extracted by evaporating seawater or salt-rich lake water, while rock salt comes from underground salt deposits. Well salts are obtained from salt-rich wells found in noncoastal areas.

Rock salt, a popular type, is extracted from underground deposits and then ground. Himalayan pink salt is a well-known variety, primarily sourced from the Punjab region of Pakistan, about 100 miles south of the Himalayas. These salt deposits were formed between 600 million and 800 million years ago as ancient oceans slowly evaporated, leaving behind salt beds. These beds were later pushed deep into the Earth’s crust by geological movements, eventually forming large salt domes hundreds or even thousands of feet below the surface. Himalayan pink salt, mined from these deposits, remains uncontaminated by modern toxins or pollutants.

When it comes to table salt, people often think of the pure white, finely ground refined salt. Refined salt also comes from the sea, mines, or lakes but undergoes additional processing, including washing with a saturated sodium chloride solution, followed by heating, centrifugal drying, and grinding. During this process, other minerals and trace elements are largely removed, leaving behind only the pure white, finely ground sodium chloride. To keep the salt loose and dry for a long time, manufacturers also add anti-caking agents, such as sodium ferrocyanide, sodium silicate, and aluminum ferrocyanide. Iodide compounds, such as sodium iodide, potassium iodide, or sodium iodate, are added to iodized salt.

Coarser Means Lower Sodium Content

The key factor in sodium content is not the type of salt but the coarseness of the grind.

“The coarser the texture is, the lower [the] level of sodium per teaspoon,” Ms. Phillips said.

Because coarser salt packs less efficiently, leaving more air, a teaspoon of coarse salt actually has less salt than a teaspoon of finely ground table salt, resulting in lower sodium content.

Therefore, Ms. Phillips recommends that individuals looking to reduce their sodium intake try using salt with a coarser grind.

Sea Salt Poses a Risk of Microplastic Pollution

From a manufacturing perspective, the cheapest salt comes from the ocean. However, in recent years, extensive research has found the presence of microplastic pollutants there. The amount of microplastics in sea salt is directly related to the pollution levels in different marine environments. Some studies indicate that the amount of microplastics in sea salt is similar to that in rock salt. Researchers speculate that microplastics in rock salt may be introduced during the production process.

Therefore, it is advisable to choose sea salt from regions with lower pollution levels and rock salt produced under controlled conditions.

Should We Opt for Iodized Salt?

Most commercially available iodized salt is refined salt, and most natural salt products are not iodized. The National Institutes of Health states that the iodine content in non-iodized sea salt is minimal, providing virtually no iodine.

So should we opt for iodized salt for our health? To understand this, let’s first look at the origins of iodized salt.

Iodine is a trace element naturally found in certain foods and is crucial for synthesizing thyroid hormones in the body. A healthy adult typically has about 15 milligrams to 20 milligrams of iodine in the body, with 70 percent to 80 percent stored in the thyroid gland. When iodide enters the bloodstream, the thyroid gland concentrates the appropriate amount of iodine to synthesize thyroid hormones, with the rest being excreted in urine. Typically, adults require 150 micrograms of iodine per day.

Before the 1920s, there was endemic iodine deficiency in the Appalachians, Great Lakes, and Northwestern regions of the United States, an area known as the “goiter belt.” During World War I, Simon Levin, a Michigan physician, observed that out of 583 registrants for the draft, 30.3 percent exhibited symptoms of thyromegaly (goiter, or inflamed thyroid), with many disqualified from the military because of their condition.

After the successful implementation of Switzerland’s salt iodization program, the United States introduced iodized salt in the 1920s, significantly improving its iodine nutritional status. Current national studies highlight that Americans are generally iodine-sufficient. Iodized salt in the United States contains 45 micrograms of iodine per gram of salt.

Some bread manufacturers use iodate or calcium iodate as bread conditioners, so these types of bread contribute significantly to iodine intake. According to the 2019 Department of Agriculture Branded Food Products Database, about 20 percent of ingredient labels for white bread, whole-wheat bread, hamburger buns, and hot dog buns listed iodate.

Although iodized salt is a simple way to get sufficient iodine, it is best to obtain iodine from natural foods. Some good sources of iodine are seaweed (such as kelp, wakame, kombu, and nori), seafood, eggs, milk, and dairy products.

James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, and author of “The Salt Fix,” told The Epoch Times in an email that cranberries are also relatively rich in iodine content.

The bottom line is that you can greatly reduce the risk of iodine deficiency by simply including iodine-rich foods in your diet.

High-Quality Salt in the US

“My preferred salt is Redmond Real Salt because it’s sourced from the United States and contains over 60 trace minerals,“ Mr. DiNicolantonio said. ”[The brand is] also higher in iodine compared to regular table salt or sea salt.”

In prehistoric times, an inland sea known as the Sundance Sea covered what is now Redmond, Utah. Although it has since disappeared, it left a vast, pristine underground salt deposit through geological movements. This deposit, protected beneath layers of volcanic ash and clay, has been well-preserved and has never been exposed to manmade pollutants.

In this sense, the salt produced in this region is very similar to Himalayan salt, but it is mined and produced locally in the United States, ensuring reliable production techniques and quality. Since it does not require long-distance transportation, its cost is 50 percent lower than that of Himalayan pink salt. It also boasts a subtle sweetness.