RANT - Salty Myth

I rarely comment on health topics, usually because they're dull. But, I do like salt, and I know it's bad for me, so this item in today's New York Times caught my attention.

 

Really? The Claim: Sea Salt Is Lower in Sodium Than Table Salt

THE FACTS

Recently, the American Heart Association surveyed 1,000 people nationwide about their thoughts on sodium and heart health. Sixty one percent said that they believed sea salt was a low-sodium alternative to table salt.

They can be forgiven for thinking so. Sea salt is marketed as a health food, added to soups, potato chips and a wide variety of packaged snacks labeled “low sodium,” “all natural” and “healthy.”

But in reality, sea salt and table salt are not terribly different, at least chemically. The real differences are in how the two are used in cooking.

Table salt comes from underground salt deposits. Companies that sell it typically add an anti-caking agent to keep it from clumping, as well as iodine, an essential nutrient. During processing, table salt is stripped of many of its natural minerals.

Sea salt, on the other hand, is made from evaporated seawater. With little processing, it retains most of its magnesium, calcium and other minerals, which some cooks say give it a better flavor.

But both contain the same amount of sodium chloride by weight, which means they contribute equally to total sodium consumption and have the same effect on blood pressure.

Officials recommend that adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day, equivalent to a teaspoon of salt. You should eat less if you are black, hypertensive or older than 40. Yet most Americans consume more than double the amount they need, mostly from processed foods, so it is best to limit salt — of any kind.

THE BOTTOM LINE
Sea salt is no lower in sodium than table salt.