Sodium Levels of Sea Salt Vs. Table Salt

The sodium levels of sea salt and table salt have been called into question in recent years due in large part to the marketing of sea salt. Sea salt has been marketed as a healthier alternative, but those who look closely at sea salt and table salt have often been surprised at what they find in relation to sodium and nutritional value of either type of salt.

Sea Salt

Sea salt is sold in most grocery and specialty stores around the world and is often touted as the healthiest form of salt. Sea salt comes from the evaporation of seawater. The process usually involves little or no processing. The result of the evaporation and lack of processing ensures that the salt has many trace minerals in it, changing and enhancing the flavor of the salt.

Table Salt

Table salt is a bit different from sea salt because instead of coming from the evaporation of seawater it is mined from salt deposits that are found underground. The table salt is heavily processed in comparison to the sea salt to do away with trace minerals as well as to prevent clumping when packaged. Table salt is usually enhanced with the addition of iodine, which is a nutrient that the human body needs but is not found in sea salt, or when it is, it is only available in trace amounts.

Sodium Content of Sea Salt and Table Salt

Sea salt is often marketed as the better choice in salts, providing less sodium, but this is not the case. When measured by weight, sea salt and table salt usually contain about the same amount of sodium chloride. This means that as long as you are using the proper amount of salt, you'll get neither too little nor too much sodium from either table salt or sea salt.

How Much Sodium You Need

The human body needs anywhere from 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. Many people don't realize that they actually need sodium to be a healthy, functioning individual. Of course, if you have high blood pressure or you are middle aged or older, you should attempt to get closer to 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day instead of the higher end of the recommended daily amount.

Choosing Your Salt

While it has been proven that sea salt is not actually healthier for you, many people continue to buy it. Because one type of salt is actually not healthier for you than another, you should simply choose the salt that you like better. Sea salt has a different taste than table salt, so you should find out which one you like more, and then ensure that you are not going outside of your daily recommended amounts of sodium through salt or other food.