The first thing many people reach for when they sit down at the table is the salt shaker, knowing its contents can enhance the flavour of almost any food be it eggs, green beans, rice or chicken. The mystery of salt – an element found in earth and sea around the world and used since ancient times for various purposes – has never quite been solved. On the one hand, people seem to crave it, and there’s no doubt the body needs it for healthy functioning, while on the other hand, it is touted as the main culprit in causing hypertension (high blood pressure) and other chronic ailments. To add to the confusion, there is one line of thought that promotes “natural” or “sea salt” as being a healthy alternative to common table salt.

It is indeed true that small amounts of salt or sodium chloride are necessary for optimum human health. The substance keeps the liquids in our cells in balance, drawing water molecules, glucose and amino acids through cell membranes when necessary to hold the quantity steady. It also allows for contraction and transmission of nerve impulses.

To a point, kidneys and various glands get rid of excess salt through urine, sweat and tears. However, the average North American eats three or four times – or even 10 time – the daily amount recommended by Health Canada (1000 to 3000 mg or 1 to 3 grams). There is a point where the body can’t cope; hypertension and consequent heart and kidney disease develop and we wonder why.

Eminent food writer Margaret Visser asks the question, “if our bodies need so little salt, why do we crave it so much?” There is no doubt salt enlivens a myriad of foods, and our tongues are, indeed, well supplied with salt-tasting buds. However, modern western culture with the prevalence of processed food has heightened our normal “craving” for salt to the point where foods that might taste fine to a palette not used to salt, seem dull and tasteless to us. Thus not only do consumers eat huge amounts of processed foods, they salt their foods at the table. Many Canadians are completely unaware of how much salt they are actually ingesting and are surprised when their blood pressure is suddenly high (although it must be understood, there are many other causes of hypertension).

Lower in sodium

Is there an alternative to table salt that is lower in sodium and thus more heart-healthy? The truth is that the chemical make-up of all salts is the same be it grey sea salt, Himalayan pink crystal salt or table salt with negligible differences in sodium chloride content. All salts are originally “from the sea” – extracted today from sea water that goes through evaporation, or mined from deposits left in the earth from ancient seas.

There are a few differences between the ubiquitous table salt and other not-so-common salts which are worthy of note. Table salt has gone through an extensive refining process that includes bleaching to make it white, the loss of some minerals and the addition of an anti-caking agent that keeps it dry in humid conditions.

Most other “sea salts” have gone through a minimum of processing and thus contain more of their original minerals. However, while the body needs minerals such as calcium, iron and potassium found in salts, we can get adequate amounts from other sources. The one mineral found in salt which is often lacking in the human diet is iodine with the result being an underactive thyroid gland (which functions to make hormones to regulate metabolism). Iodine deficiency is so widespread and detrimental to health that salt manufacturers around the world “add it back” to table salt most commonly used by populations.

On the whole it is of benefit for all Canadians to lower their intake of all salt; if you are dealing with hypertension, it is imperative. Stay away from processed food as much as possible. Particularly high in sodium are canned soups, snack items such as potato chips, condiments including soy sauce, barbecue sauce, relishes and ketchup and deli meats. Use salt-free spice blends and herbs to enhance the flavour of your foods.

It is worth your while to try some of the specialty salts you find on the market. Some are more flavourful than table salt and thus you need less, others come in beautiful colours such as pink, red or greyish-blue with larger crystals and may be used as “finishing salts.”