Ingredient FAQ: Salt

February 14, 2023

Published: February 14, 2023

Updated: April 19, 2023

Kyla’s recipes are full of delicious ingredients that have lots of health benefits! We’ll highlight some of them in blog posts so you can learn more about how they affect your nutrition. This post is about the most ubiquitous seasoning – salt! It’s so simple, but there is a lot you can learn about it! We’ll explore this seasoning in today’s blog post.

Salt

The Basics

There are several different types of salt – table salt, sea salt, Himalayan salt, Kosher salt, and more. They differ in their taste, color, mouthfeel, and nutrient content (but this difference is very small).

In this blog post, we’re just going to go over sea salt and Himalayan salt, two of the most common types. Sea salt has large, coarse grains. It is made by evaporating seawater. Himalayan salt has a characteristic pink color and large grains. Contrary to its name, it actually comes from mines in Pakistan.1

Nutrition Profile

Salt is mostly sodium chloride, but the different types of salt can also contain other minerals. Sea salt has traces of potassium, iron, and zinc. It can sometimes also have trace amounts of heavy metals and microplastics because of polluted ocean water. Sea salt contains approximately 2,120 mg of sodium per teaspoon, which is slightly less compared to table salt, which has 2,300 mg of sodium per teaspoon.2

Himalayan salt contains trace amounts of iron oxide (rust), which gives it its well-known pink color. It also contains trace amounts of minerals – calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Himalayan salt is also slightly lower in sodium than regular table salt at 2,200 mg per teaspoon. The main thing that makes it stand out is its color, but the flavor is also a little bit different from that of table salt.2

Which Type of Salt is the Healthiest?

Sea salt

There really isn’t much of a difference in the healthfulness of the different types of salt. Whether you choose sea salt or Himalayan salt will mainly affect the taste and mouthfeel of your food, not the nutrient content. The amounts of other minerals in these types of salt are so small, you don’t get that much of a benefit from eating them. 

Is Salt Good or Bad for You?

That being said, salt is both good and bad for you – depending on how much of it you eat. The main component of salt is sodium, and your body needs some sodium for you to live. Sodium is important for balancing electrolytes and preventing your blood pressure from falling too low.3 Both too much and too little sodium can lead to problems. At the bare minimum, we need about 500 mg of sodium per day.2 Athletes should replace the sodium they lose through sweat.4 On the other hand, high sodium intake can lead to high blood pressure, which in turn increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes.5,6,7

Cutting Back on Salt

It is recommended for adults to consume no more than 2,300mg of sodium per day.5 However, most adults in the US eat around 3,400mg per day – way more than we need!2 We like the taste of salty food and foods that are high in sodium (which might not even taste salty). The majority of most people’s sodium intake comes from processed foods, such as bread, pre-made desserts, and deli meat.

To cut back on sodium in your diet, try to eat more fresh foods and fewer processed foods. When grocery shopping, read food labels and look for low-sodium versions of typically high-sodium foods, such as soups and frozen entrees. When cooking at home, try cooking without salt. Instead, use herbs, spices, and lemon juice to season your food.

Himalayan salt

Summary

Sea salt and Himalayan salt both add flavor to your food. But like all types of salt, eating too much can negatively impact your health. Your body needs some sodium to survive, but too much sodium is linked to high blood pressure and a higher risk for heart disease. So, try to eat fewer processed foods and use less salt to season your food. Instead, eat lots of fresh produce and use herbs and spices to season food cooked at home.

Take charge of your health and longevity with Kyla’s Longevity program! Our expert team, including a registered dietitian, provides comprehensive support on your journey to living a long, healthy life. Discover your personalized nutrition and wellness plan tailor-made for you today!

References

  1. Narishkin A, Cameron S. How 800 million pounds of Himalayan salt are mined each year. Business Insider. Published online February 5, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2023. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-800-million-pounds-of-himalayan-salt-are-mined-yearly-2021-2
  2. Salt and sodium. The Nutrition Source. Published July 18, 2013. Accessed April 19, 2023. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/
  3. Strazzullo P, Leclercq C. Sodium. Adv Nutr. 2014;5(2):188-190. doi:10.3945/an.113.005215
  4. Veniamakis E, Kaplanis G, Voulgaris P, Nikolaidis PT. Effects of sodium intake on health and performance in endurance and ultra-endurance sports. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(6):3651. doi:10.3390/ijerph19063651
  5. Sodium in your diet. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Accessed April 19, 2023. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet
  6. Patel Y, Joseph J. Sodium intake and heart failure. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(24):9474. doi:10.3390/ijms21249474
  7. Rust P, Ekmekcioglu C. Impact of salt intake on the pathogenesis and treatment of hypertension. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017;956:61-84. doi:10.1007/5584_2016_147
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