Salt
Level
Usage
Product Category
Health impact
Environmental Impact
Salt to avoid
Conscious alternatives
Things to know about Salt
Are there different types of salt?
There are actually two main types of salt: refined and unrefined salt.
Unrefined salt is salt in its natural form. It's packed with many minerals and other nutrients that are really beneficial for you. When you use unrefined salt, you're not just getting that salty flavour, but you're also giving yourself a dose of these essential minerals.
Refined Salt on the other hand, goes through a refining process where most of these valuable minerals get stripped away. To make matters worse, some artificial chemicals are added to bleach salt and give it that pure white appearance that the brands made you used to. They even add anticaking agents to make sure the salt flows freely.
Why is salt refined?
First reason - brands want to make salt less hygroscopic. Hygro-what?
Hygroscopic means how much moisture it sucks in from the air. By making salt less hygroscopic, it won't get clumpy and sticky, which makes it super convenient for brands to store, handle, package and transport salt.
Brands made you fall in love with free flowing salt by showing how hard it is to get clumpy salt out of a shaker. Smart or sneaky?
That pretty white colour you're used to seeing in table salt comes from the bleaching done during the refining process.
The other big win for brands due to refining - it lets them use any water source for salt production. Since refining strips away almost everything except sodium and chloride, they can use water that might not be suitable for drinking due to pollution or other yucky stuff. That's a nifty trick for salt producers because they can be more flexible in choosing their water sources, which saves them time and money.
Most importantly, brands want uniformity. When they refine salt, they get rid of all the other elements that are a part of natural salt.
Are you wondering why brands would remove all the other nutrients?
Only a small chunk of salt is actually made for you to sprinkle on your food.
If we don’t use salt, who does?
Salt is one of the most used raw materials in the chemical industry. It's the main ingredient for making over 50% of chemical products out there. Industries just want pure sodium chloride without any other elements in the salt.
Now you know all the reasons why brands refine salt
- To make it easier for their logistics
- Gives them the convenience of choosing any source of water
- Make it useful for the chemical industry which is the biggest user of salt
What makes table salt unhealthy?
Table salt contains just two things: sodium and chloride. All the other elements in salt are removed during the refining process.
Wondering why we are telling you that? This part is a bit technical, but we'll simplify it for you.
Your body likes to keep a delicate balance between sodium and potassium. When everything is fine - there's more sodium outside your cells and there's more potassium inside your cells.
Table salt unfortunately doesn't have any potassium in it. So when you consume more table salt, the sodium content in your body gets imbalanced. Since there is more sodium, it enters inside your cell. When the sodium levels inside the cells go up, they make your cells swell up. And that's what we call high blood pressure!
Video
Dr Barbara O Neill explains this so elegantly in this video
Your kidneys play a crucial role in keeping your sodium levels in check. But if you're having too much table salt, it puts your kidneys under pressure, and over time, it can lead to reduced kidney function.
A high-sodium diet can also mess with your calcium levels. Yes, you might be losing precious calcium through urine because of that extra salt. That's not good news for your bones, as it can increase your risk of osteoporosis.
Let's not forget about the bloating! Too much salt can make your body cling onto water. So, you might end up feeling all puffy and swollen. Not what you want to sign up for, right?
It's not just the excess sodium causing all the trouble. Over 90% of the world's table salt has been found to have microplastics. Some of the plastic we throw away which ends up in the seas and oceans keep breaking down and eventually become super tiny and are called microplastics.
You might be thinking that the salt-making process would filter those out, but not really!
Salt is made by evaporation, and when the water evaporates, guess what sticks around? You guessed right - those microplastics. They are just the same size as the salt crystals. So, there's no escaping them, and they end up in our salt, potentially messing with our health.
Unknowingly you're getting an unwanted side dish of microplastics with your salt! One more reason why we should try to reduce our plastic usage wherever possible.
What are the healthier alternatives to table salt?
Unrefined salt or Himalayan salt are healthier alternatives to regular table salt. Here's why they are the preferred choice for health-conscious individuals like you:
- Rich in Nutrients: They contain trace minerals and elements like magnesium, potassium, calcium and iron. These minerals are beneficial because they help in maintaining the sodium balance in your body.
- Natural and Unprocessed: They are minimally processed and don't have any chemicals or additives, making it a more natural and healthier option.
While Unrefined salt or Himalayan salt have some health benefits compared to refined table salt, moderation is still key.
Why does your body need salt?
Salt plays a vital role in balancing fluid levels in the blood and keeping our blood pressure in check. Plus, it's essential for nerve and muscle function, making it a pretty important nutrient!
How much salt does your body actually need?
Just because salt is a very important nutrient doesn't mean you should go overboard with it. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily salt intake of about 3-6 g to keep your body happy and healthy.
Did you know?
The average Indian consumes around 11g of salt per day. That's nearly double of the highest recommended amount.
Too much salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure.
So, while you can't live without salt, the key is to strike the right balance and your body will thank you for it!