From sea salt to fleur de sel, there are so many types of salt on the market. But what are the different health benefits for each one, and why are there so many options? Read on to learn more about the health benefits of different types of salt.
One of the single most important ingredients to any recipe is salt, but its importance to not only your recipe will shock you. Salt and history have been interwoven since the birth of civilization thousands of years ago. The earliest known harvesting of salt is believed to have occurred around 6,000 B.C. at Lake Yuncheng, in the Chinese province of Shanxi where historians found evidence that salt deposits were collected from the surface of the lake after water evaporated during the heat of the summer [1]. Methods of harvesting salt evolved and spread west with the technological growth of civilization and in 4,500 B.C., salt was first mined in a mountain near the Austrian village of Hallstatt, and it is recognized as the world’s oldest salt mine having produced salt for the last 7,000 years [2]. Whether it be harvesting salt through natural evaporation, mining, or through boiling sea water, it has played a pivotal role in advancing every civilization and nourishing its people.
Salt is widely recognized as the first food preservative, but its purpose and critical need is so much more. Every cell in the human body contains salt. Salt is essential to fluid balance, neuronal signaling, respiration, and digestion. Many variants of salt exist in the human body, but its most predominant form, sodium chloride (i.e. NaCl or common table salt) accounts for roughly 0.4% of total body weight – in context, an individual weighing 150-pounds will have 0.6-pounds of salt as part of their total body weight [3].
Having recognized the vital importance of salt, scientists were able to link its commonality to other trace elements, most notably iodine, to further enhance wellness and prevent disease. Iodine accumulations are predominantly located in the upper crust of the earth and found along coastal areas with some of the most common sources of dietary iodine being seaweed and seafood. While early Chinese medical writings that date to 3,600 B.C. are believed to have been the first to document decreases in goiter (an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by insufficient iodine intake) following consumption of seaweed, it was not until the early 19th century that the link between iodine and salt was incidentally made while extracting sodium salts to manufacture gunpowder [4]. Shortly after in the 1830’s, French nutritional chemist Jean Batiste Boussingault concluded the prevalence of goiter was significantly increased in areas where ingestion of naturally occurring iodized salt was infrequent [5]. Despite several failed attempts to implement iodine supplementation throughout Europe and the U.S., it was not until the 1920’s that common table salt was first fortified with iodine and made commercially available in Switzerland and the U.S.
Before the health benefits of salt were proven by modern science, countless wars were fought over it because of its economic, religious, and societal value. Heralded as “white gold,” it has been recorded that salt was so valuable during the Middle Ages that the Roman Empire frequently paid their soldiers a salarium, or monthly allowance, in salt instead of money. The Latin root of the word sal, meaning salt, can be recognized in the French word salaire, and finally in its English translation as the word salary [6].
So, what type of salt are you spending your hard-earned salary on? Check out some health benefits of different types of salt.
Health Benefits of Different Types of Salt
COMMON TABLE SALT
Common table salt is the most prevalent form of salt available to consumers. It is harvested from underground salt deposits and then refined and finely ground. During the refining process the salt is heated to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit to strip it of all impurities and trace minerals before it is bleached and treated with an anti-caking agent (aluminum derivatives) to prevent clumping. Most table salts are fortified with iodine to prevent elemental deficiencies that can lead to thyroid dysfunction and other health concerns.
KOSHER SALT
Despite the name, kosher salt is not certified kosher. Its name is derived from the koshering process, an evaporative step to remove all fluids from a substance. Kosher salt by nature is flakier and coarser than refined table salt, and its large grains are ideal for cooking since it has a purer flavor without the taste of additives such as iodine. Kosher salt is also popular for use in brining meats due to its coarse-grains and can even be used as an abrasive cleaner for cookware like cast iron skillets since it will retain its abrasiveness when mixed with oil, but will quickly dissolve once washed with water.
SEA SALT
Sea salt is harvested all around the world from evaporated seawater. It is an unrefined salt with coarser-grains that contain minerals specific to where it was harvested that gives it a more complex and unique flavor profile. Depending on where the sea salt is harvested from its color and mineral content may vary. Sea salt has emerged in recent years as a gourmet commodity with the best all-natural sea salt arguably coming from Frances’ northwest Brittany coast. However, sea salt’s broad flavor profile makes quality and preference a personal choice in taste.
CELTIC SEA SALT
Also known as sel gris (French for “grey salt”), Celtic sea salt is raked from the bottom of tidal ponds off the coast of France using a 2,000 year-old method to preserve the salt’s nutritional value. The chunky salt crystals along with the mineral-rich seawater it is extracted from gives Celtic salt a grey, moist, and briny taste. Celtic sea salt pairs well with fish and meat as both a cooking and finishing salt, and can also be used for traditional baking.
FLEUR DE SEL
Fleur de sel (French for “flowers of salt”), is harvested from the same tidal pools along France’s Brittany coast as Celtic sea salt. Its thin crystals are carefully pulled by hand from the ocean’s surface using traditional wooden rakes, and only on select days with optimal sunshine and light winds. Its scarcity and labor-intensive harvesting techniques make it the most expensive of all salts and recipient of the nickname, “the caviar of salts.” Due to its ability to retain moisture and its blue-grey tint, fleur de sel is most commonly used as a finishing salt or to add a strong flavor to meat, seafood, vegetables, or chocolate.
PINK HIMALAYAN SALT
Of all the different types of salt, pink Himalayan salt is the purest form of salt in the world. It is harvested by hand from the Punjab region of Pakistan. While this pink salt is harvested from the Himalayan mountains, it is actually sea salt deposited 250 million years earlier by ancient oceans. Its white to pinkish color range is caused by mineral impurities as it is loaded with 84 natural minerals and elements found in the body that include potassium, magnesium, and calcium. This mineral content gives pink Himalayan salt a bold flavor that is phenomenal to cook with or use as a finishing salt. Other uses for pink Himalayan salt include cooking and serving blocks because of its heat retention, lamps, and applications in spa treatments.
KALA NAMAK (a.k.a. “Indian Black Salt”)
Kala namak is a reddish-black salt harvested from the Himalayan mountains that has a sulfurous aroma due to its trace amounts of sodium sulfide, iron sulfide, and hydrogen sulfide. It is used extensively in South Asian cuisine and also in vegan and vegetarian dishes to mimic the taste of eggs. Its naturally occurring dark hue comes from iron sulfide, which differentiates it from other black salts such as Hawaiian black salt which gets its coloring from infusions of activated charcoal.
So, what is the take home message here? Salt is essential for proper brain, muscle, and nervous system function. It has been used to resolve global health epidemics and pave the way for public policy on food fortifications. Despite all the good salt provides to the body it is also responsible for fluid retention that when unregulated can lead to increased blood pressure and can strain blood vessels and the heart. Salt is deeply rooted in our lives and when used in moderation it can be a healthy addition to your diet. When deciding on your own favorite salt, consider the purity and which type gives you the best health benefits. Our favorite, and the one we use, is pink Himalayan salt.
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The Power of Eating Hygiene
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References:
[1] A Brief and Fascinating History of Salt. Retrieved from: http://beyondtheshaker.com/pages/salt-guide/salt-guide-history.html.
[2] Salt and Culture: A journey back in time to the origins of salt production. Retrieved from: https://www.salzwelten.at/en/hallstatt/mine/history/.
[3] Robinson, Z. 29 July 2014. How much salt, NaCl, is in the average adult human body? Retrieved from: https://www.quora.com/How-much-salt-NaCl-is-in-the-average-adult-human-body.
[4] Rosenfeld, L. Discovery and early uses of iodine. J. Chem. Educ. 2000; 77, p. 984-987.
[5] Carpenter, K. J. David Marine and the Problem of Goiter. J. Nutr. 2005; 135, p. 675-680.
[6] Hordijk, W. 8 November 2014. From Salt to Salary: Linguists Take a Page From Science. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2014/11/08/362478685/from-salt-to-salary-linguists-take-a-page-from-science.