Sea salt can be healthy.
Many companies, such as Saltworks, advertise sea salt as a healthier alternative to the more commonly found table salt. These companies invest heavily in producing advertisements and commercials that point out the supposed benefits that sea salt holds over refined table salt. However, there is little evidence that sea salt is superior, nutritionally speaking, to table salt; most often, the choice will boil down to taste and personal choice.
Sodium Content
Sodium is important for health.
An essential part of the human diet, the mineral sodium constitutes half of the formula for common salt. According to the Mayo Clinic, the proper intake of sodium can contribute to maintaining the right balance of fluids in your body, transmitting nerve impulses and keeping muscles in good health. However, consuming too much sodium can result in adverse effects to human health, and an overabundance of sodium can lead to such conditions as high blood pressure, which in turn greatly increases your risk for cardiovascular disease or kidney disease. According to the studies on Nutrition Data, sea salt and table salt contained little difference when it comes to the amount of sodium in comparative samples. One ounce of sea salt contains 13,104 mg of sodium per oz. (546 percent of the daily recommended value based on a 2,000-calorie diet), whereas 1 oz. of table salt contains 10,852 mg of sodium per oz. (452 percent of the daily recommended value based on a 2,000-calorie diet).
Iodine
Iodiine is found in sea salt.
Iodine, a mineral present in many foods and essential for preventing certain conditions, most specifically goiters, represents an important nutritional question to consider when choosing salt. For many decades now, the United States government has worked with table salt refiners to produce table salt that contains the iodine amount required to prevent people from contracting the condition. However, according to Saltworks, America's Sea Salt Company, the intake of seafood as well as sea salt can match the iodine requirements set by the U.S. government.
Taste
Some think sea salt tastes better.
Perhaps the biggest advantage that sea salt holds over table salt comes in the form of taste. Many gourmets and chefs readily accept that sea salt tastes better and handles better than table salt. According to Saltworks, the minerals left behind by the evaporation process, as well as the fact that sea salt generally undergoes much less refinement than table salt, accounts for the discrepancy in the quality and taste of the final product. Granule size, another factor among cooks and chefs around the world, can spell the difference; the much finer table salt can prove difficult to work with, whereas the availability of fine, coarse and flake sea salt can give the cook exactly what he needs. According to Saltworks, many varieties of salt are available, and sea salt (in particular Italian sea salt) constitutes the more popular choice for those seeking better taste.
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