You know the types of salt, you know their different properties, and you know what properties each of them has and how they can be used for us. Most of the salt we use is iodized and refined salt.
Sea salts and other salts that contain additional substances in addition to sodium chloride (finishing salts), have become very popular among cooks and food lovers, and they are used to add flavor and color to foods.
These salts are more complex than standard table salt. Common salt is processed to remove other harmless minerals and impurities, which is why it has a bright white color and uniform consistency.
Many manufacturers of salts containing additional ingredients such as sea salts claim that their products are healthier because they are more natural and less refined. Also, these types of salts are rated for having a set of essential rare minerals.
Even some manufacturers of sea salts claim that their products detoxify the body, balance the acidity of the body, strengthen blood circulation, strengthen digestive health, and introduce antioxidants into the body.
But there is no scientific evidence to support these exaggerated claims about sea salts. From a health perspective, salt is salt, and consuming too much of it can increase your risk of developing high blood pressure and other related health problems.
Also, table salt is not a good source of minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium. Small amounts of these minerals in edible salt cannot meet the body’s needs for them. Relying on table salt as a source of minerals is like trying to increase your dietary fiber intake by eating white pasta, or trying to get more magnesium and iron into your diet by eating honey – it’s neither efficient nor healthy. .
Refined salt and unrefined salt?
Advertising salts such as sea salts as natural and so-called unrefined salts is actually an abuse of the general recommendation to consume processed foods such as unprocessed grains (to get more fiber).
The thing is, refined or unrefined doesn’t matter about salt, because salt is basically not a source of nutrients (except for sodium and chloride) so that its unrefined form is more beneficial.
On the other hand, this exaggeration about the benefits of unrefined salt, causes the focus to be drawn from the issue that is really important, i.e. eating less salt, to an unimportant issue. Although there is disagreement among experts about the exact optimal amount of daily salt intake, there is no doubt that our current diet contains excessive amounts of salt.
On the other hand, sea salts that come in the form of large crystals or flakes are more likely to cause you to eat more salt because, although the grains are not compressed and appear less dense, they will end up adding more sodium to your diet. .
Ultimately, regardless of what kind of salt you use, regular or sea salt or other types of salt – the important thing is to use them cautiously to avoid overconsumption of salt.
The difference in the amount of iodine
A major difference between common table salt and specialty salts such as sea salt is their iodine content. Common table salt is intentionally fortified with iodine, a mineral required for normal thyroid function, so that a quarter of a teaspoon of salt provides about 50% of an adult’s daily iodine requirement, i.e. 150 micrograms of iodine.
But special salts are not enriched like sea salts and therefore do not help the body. Also, most of the salt found in processed foods does not have added iodine.
Of course, salt enriched with iodine is not the only source of iodine. Edible fish and shellfish, dairy products, bread and other grain products and eggs also provide iodine to the body. But there are some population groups that are especially at risk of iodine deficiency. Pregnant and lactating women need more iodine (220 to 290 micrograms per day, respectively), so they may become iodine deficient.
Iodine is necessary for the development of the baby and the development of his brain and cognitive abilities, so it is very important to get enough of it. The American Thyroid Association recommends that pregnant, lactating women or women who plan to become pregnant take a multivitamin that contains 150 micrograms of iodine in the form of “Potassium Iodide”.
If you are currently taking any of these vitamin supplements, check the label to make sure they also contain iodine, as some multivitamin formulations do not contain iodine.
Another group at risk is absolute vegetarians, who have lower levels of iodine than relative vegetarians and omnivores because many of the richest sources of iodine are of animal origin.
A good plant source for iodine is seaweed, which can be consumed in different forms, such as in salads. Seaweed can contain high concentrations of iodine, but the iodine content of different types is not the same, and you need to eat seaweed regularly and several times a day to make it an important source of iodine in your diet. Note that excessive consumption of seaweed may introduce too much iodine into the body, and you should be careful about this.
Unfortunately, there is no reliable way to assess the amount of iodine in a person’s body, so if you are concerned about this, consult a knowledgeable doctor or a qualified nutritionist to find out whether iodine supplementation is beneficial for you.
For people whose dietary intake of iodine is low, using iodized salt instead of other types of salt in cooking is a good idea, but you should not overdo it.
Source: Everyday Health
