ALL SALT COMES FROM THE SEA!
Yes, you read that right. All salt is sodium chloride (NaCl), and it all comes from seawater — even table salt. Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals, such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural structure of the salt.
Salt is essential for life – you cannot live without it. However, most people simply don’t realize that there are enormous differences between the standard, refined table and cooking salt most of you are accustomed to using and natural health-promoting salt.
Table Salt
Table salt is typically mined from salt deposits, remnants of older bodies of seawater that have since dried up and are long gone. The deposits are washed with water to dissolve the salt, forming a salt solution which is then evaporated under vacuum to form crystals. Table salt is processed to purify and strip it of all other minerals and contaminants, and then supplemented with anti-caking substances, such as sodium aluminosilicate, silicon dioxide, and magnesium carbonate. Table salt is usually about 98% sodium chloride, with about 2% by weight of an anti-caking agent. Table salt may be iodized; in which case, potassium iodide (or another iodine source) is added. Table salt tends to be a little denser from the evaporation method used.
Sea Salt
Sea salt is crystallized from current bodies of seawater, either by open-air solar evaporation (usually more expensive sea salts on the market come from this evaporation method) or by a quicker vacuum evaporation process. Sea salt is either sold as unrefined or refined. The unrefined sea salt is unwashed and therefore may appear grey in color from sediment and clay impurities. Unrefined sea salt is also coated in trace minerals, algae, and even marine bacteria that can tolerate high levels of salt. All these may contribute to a more complex flavor. Of course, if you look at the amount of salt you actually sprinkle on a large grilled steak, for example, whether or not those trace impurities really contribute much flavor to your food is up for debate.
On the other hand, refined sea salt is washed to strip it of its trace minerals and clay/sediment contaminants, purifying it into a salt that is just like table salt. Again, sea salt is sodium chloride, just like table salt, and if it is unrefined, then it is most likely contaminated with trace amounts of other compounds or materials, but otherwise, it’s still sodium chloride. Sea salt may have a flakier texture, especially depending on the method used to collect and dry it.
Himalayan Pink Salt
As a natural source of sodium, Himalayan salt provides an essential mineral for healthy bodily functions. Sodium helps to regulate blood volume and thus blood pressure, as well as helping to control muscle contractions, nerve transmissions and heart functions. Sodium can be found naturally in a number of foods, but it can also be consumed as added salt, as in the case of Himalayan salt. The daily recommended amount of sodium to be consumed daily is between 1500 mg and 2300 mg, for men and women between the ages of 9 and 50.
Himalayan Salt contains the same 84 trace minerals and elements that are found in the human body, that alone is quite impressive! A few of these minerals include: sodium chloride, sulphate, calcium, potassium and magnesium. When using this salt, you are actually getting less sodium intake per serving than regular table salt because it is less refined and the pieces are larger. Therefore Himalayan salt has less sodium per serving because the crystals or flakes take up less room than the highly processed table salt variety.