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Sea Salt - Essential Health Benefits of Sea Salt

In THis Article

What Is Sea Salt?
Types Of Sea Salt
Nutritional Value of Sea Salt
Difference between sea salt and table salt
Health Benefits of Sea Salt
Some Tips For Using Sea Salt
Side Effects 

It’s no secret that eating less processed food is good for your health. And while sea salt is less processed than table salt and contains more nutrients, it may not offer all the health benefits that some marketers want you to believe. Like table salt, sodium makes up a large portion of the nutrients in table salt. Too much sodium from any source may affect your blood pressure and your health.

Salt has been used as a natural flavoring for thousands of years, and it’s so vital to our existence that we’ve even been created with a portion of our tongues designated to taste saltiness. I did a Daniel fast last year and eliminated salt from my diet completely for 10 days, and everything I ate tasted completely bland. During that time, it made me realize how essential salt is to our lives and caused me to spend some extra hours researching all of the many uses and benefits of sea salt.

As I’m sure you’re aware, salt is seen as a very unhealthy substance by many organizations, such as the American Heart Association, and I understand why. I’m not saying you should start shoveling salt into your mouth, but I want to clarify that there is a major difference between processed table salt and real sea salt. A true, unrefined sea salt actually supports the human body in essential ways and can truly be an awesome health promoter.

 

What Is Sea Salt?
Sea salt, as is quite clear from the name, is salt that is produced by evaporating ocean water or saltwater from lakes. Thus, it contains traces of some essential minerals, depending on which area it has been produced from, which give it a distinct taste and color.

Bay salt and solar salt are also some names given to sea salt.

Since the characteristics of sea salt can change depending on where it is produced, it stands to reason that there are different types of sea salt out there. Let’s take a look at some of them.

 

Types Of Sea Salt

From the Himalayas to the Celtic Sea, sea salt is produced in a number of places all around the world. 

Here are a few famous varieties:

 

Nutritional Value of Sea Salt

Sea salt derives 82 essential trace nutrients from the mineral treasure trove present in seawater. [3] [4] These natural minerals are valuable for the healthy functioning of the body. The nutritional wealth of sea salt includes vital minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, bromide, chloride, iron, copper, and zinc, among other beneficial elements.

NUTRIENT AMOUNT PER SERVING % DAILY VALUES
Calories 0 mcg  0%
Total Fat 0 mg 0%
Cholesterol 0 mg 6%
Sodium 2225 mg 97%
Total Carbohydrate 0 mg 0%
Protein 0 mcg 0%
Vitamin A 0 0%
Vitamin C 0 0%

 

As you can see, sea salt looks like it doesn’t have much going on in the nutrient department except for being exceptionally high in sodium. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sea salt is one of those rare ingredients that houses all 84 essential minerals that are found in the human body. But the exact compositional breakdown of these minerals can vary depending on the original source of seawater that it was produced from.

The major minerals found in sea salt are sodium (of course), potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Some trace minerals that are usually found in it are iron, iodine, manganese, and zinc.

 

Difference between sea salt and table salt

The main differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste, texture and processing.

Sea salt is produced through evaporation of ocean water or water from saltwater lakes, usually with little processing. Depending on the water source, this leaves behind certain trace minerals and elements. The minerals add flavor and color to sea salt, which also comes in a variety of coarseness levels.

Table salt is typically 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 helps maintain a healthy thyroid.

Sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value, despite the fact that sea salt is often promoted as being healthier. Sea salt and table salt contain comparable amounts of sodium by weight.

 

Health Benefits of Sea Salt

 

Some Tips For Using Sea Salt

 

Why You Need Sodium
Sodium is an essential nutrient. It helps maintain fluid balance, plays an important role in maintaining blood pressure and assists in nutrient transport into your cells. However, you only need about 200 milligrams of sodium a day to get this done. And while sea salt can help you get what you need, a teaspoon contains 2,300 milligrams of sodium, which is the same amount found in the same serving of traditional table salt.

 

Side Effects