Kosher Salt – Table Salt – Sea Salt – Himalayan Salt
Salt is one of the most essential and common ingredients used to cook food. Salt helps in making food tastier by adding a salty flavor to the cuisines and dishes. Without salt, your food might be tasteless or unappetizing. Although there are many different varieties of salt available across the world. The most common types of salts include Kosher Salt, Table Salt, Sea Salt, and Himalayan Salt. However, the texture, flavor, and nutrition value of all these salts are different from one another. Thus, we will check out the difference between all these salt types, in terms of nutritional profile and health benefits.
Before we go into the details, let’s know some important facts about salts.
- Salt is a mineral found in the crystal form, comprising of two elements i.e. Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl).
- Both Sodium and Chloride help in improving brain health by stimulating electric impulses through nerves.
- Fundamentally, salt is obtained from salt mines or through the process of evaporation of sea or other mineral-filled waters.
- Too much salt intake can cause high BP due to water retention by the body for flushing out excess sodium.
Himalayan Salt
Himalayan salt is a pinkish colored salt obtained from the Khewra Salt Mine of Pakistan. Due to the presence of iron oxide, the appearance of this salt is pinkish. This salt type is known to contain calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium in little quantity. However, the sodium content of Himalayan pink salt is a bit lower than table salt. While many people believe this salt to be better tasting, yet it’s only unusual trait is its color.
Himalayan Salt Benefits
Here are some of the potential health benefits of Himalayan salt.
- It might help to improve the health and functioning of the respiratory system.
- It might prove beneficial in balancing the pH levels of the body.
- Anti-aging benefits and improved skin health might be offered by the Himalayan salt.
- It may help improve the quality of sleep.
- It might help in the management and regulation of blood sugar levels.
- Himalayan pink salt might help in improving the sexual life.
Table Salt
Table salt refers to refined salt, which is normally used in most households. To remove the impurities and minerals imprint from this salt, it is extremely refined through fine grinding. Because of being extremely ground, this salt is prone to forming clusters. To prevent this from happening, anti-caking agents are added to the regular table salt. Mostly, the consumable table salt is made up of 97%-100% sodium chloride. However, iodine is added to the regular table salt in several countries to prevent iodine-deficiency related health problems. Alternatively, people who don’t want to consume table salt can always consume other iodine-rich foods like eggs and seafood.
Table Salt Health Benefits
Here are some of the potential health benefits of consuming table salt regularly.
- Table salt is a great source of sodium, which helps to regulate blood pressure, improve muscle functioning, and strengthen nerves.
- Due to the presence of iodine, its consumption might help in preventing various iodine-deficiency diseases like Goiter.
- Iodine might also help in improving the overall body growth and cognitive functioning in children.
- Sodium in table salt helps in regulating the cells functioning and managing the acid levels in the body.
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is known to have large flakes with coarse texture. However, there are only two differences between both kosher salt and table salt. Firstly, the size of kosher salt flakes is bigger than regular salt. Secondly, kosher salt is unlikely to contain anti-caking elements and iodine. Due to the big-sized rough flakes, Jewish people utilize kosher salt to extract blood from the meat. The removal of blood before meat consumption is one of their traditional laws.
If the kosher salt is sprinkled over food, it might offer a different flavor than regular table salt. However, if it gets dissolved in the food, the flavor of both salts is almost similar. Due to the size difference, the amount of kosher salt required to add flavor to food is also different than table salt.
Kosher Salt Health Benefits
Here are some potential health benefits of kosher salt.
- It might help in improving the digestion process and prevent various digestive-system related problems like indigestion, acidity, etc.
- Kosher salt is claimed to have antibiotic properties that might help in improving oral health and prevent oral problems.
- Due to the presence of low sodium content, it might help in preventing high blood pressure.
- Apart from these health benefits, kosher salt acts as a catalyst in the water while boiling veggies or other foods.
Sea Salt
As the name suggests, sea salt is obtained through the process of seawater evaporation. Based on the source and its processing, sea salt might contain essential nutrients like zinc, potassium, and iron. Due to water pollution, sea salt can be contaminated with trace nutrients, lead, and microplastics. Essentially, the darker-colored sea salt is said to have more amounts of impurities and other elements. As it’s unrefined, the texture of sea salt is coarse and it offers a different flavor than table salt.
Sea Salt Health Benefits
Some of the potential health benefits of sea salt are mentioned below.
- Sodium Chloride in sea salt might help regulate the fluid balance in the body.
- Sodium might also help in maintaining normal blood pressure in the body.
- Drinking sea salt dissolved water might help in boosting digestion and prevent various digestive system problems.
- Sea salt is claimed to have anti-inflammatory properties that might help in improving skin health by preventing inflammation.
The Bottom Line!
So this was everything you need to know about Table Salt vs. Kosher Salt vs. Sea Salt vs. Himalayan Salt. Each of these salts has its specific properties and potential benefits for health. However, it’s highly recommended to consult a medical professional or a licensed dietician to know the best option for you. Also, make sure to eat healthily and exercise regularly to stay healthy and fit always.
