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Regardless of the type chosen, the chemical composition of the salt remains essentially the same: sodium, chlorine as well as traces of minerals in minute quantities.
A matter of geography
Overall, it is above all the origin and the size of the grain that distinguishes the types of salt. the table salt is taken from salt mines. It then goes through a process that gives it a fine texture, suitable for recipes. It contains no residual minerals.
The sel kasher also comes from the salt mines. However, it is made up of large crystals. Thanks to the size of its grain, it adheres better to food (especially meat), which makes it easier to use for kosher butchery.
The the rose of the Himalayas, meanwhile, comes from a single place: the Khewra mine in Pakistan. The minerals present in small quantities (barely 2% of its composition) give it its distinctive pink color. It is estimated to contain 84 different minerals.
It is this last characteristic that has attributed several properties to Himalayan pink salt: improved cardiovascular and respiratory health, better sleep, stronger bones.
But does the presence of these minerals really make it superior to other salts? To check it, an Australian research group analyzed in 2020 the mineral composition of around thirty samples of pink salt. If we have indeed detected magnesium, calcium and potassium, the fact remains that their quantity remains too low to have an impact. To meet our nutritional needs in minerals, we should consume 30 grams of pink salt per day, or six times the salt recommendation from the World Health Organization…
Health Canada suggests a similar dose, representing the equivalent of one teaspoon of salt per day, and reminds us that too much sodium consumption causes a greater risk of suffering from high blood pressureand therefore heart disease and strokes.
Finally, compared to Himalayan salt, sell them more also contains minerals such as potassium, iron and calcium, but in such minute quantities that it would also be necessary ingest dangerously high amounts of salt to have daily the quantities of minerals which one could receive by the food.
Sea salt is obtained by evaporation of sea water. It does not undergo any transformation and this is the reason why it retains these traces of certain nutrients naturally present in salt water.
A question of taste?
If no salt is healthier than another, maybe the difference is in the taste? According to a study carried out in 2010, some sea salts would have a more pronounced flavor. The researchers hypothesized that this could be a solution to reducing salt consumption, since less would be needed to obtain the same salty taste.
However, we must remember that most of the salt we consume is already in processed foods and most of the time it is table salt. A person who wants to reduce salt in their diet should therefore opt for fresh or minimally processed foods more often.
Verdict
Salt is salt! Regardless of color or provenance, they all have substantially the same composition. However, depending on how you want to use it in the kitchen, some choices are more appropriate than others.
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