Iodized Salt Vs. Sea Salt

We all know that apart from adding taste to food, salt is also an essential nutrient for the human body. It is very much necessary for the survival of animal life. Salt is present in the tissue and cells of our body and it facilitates contraction of muscles, conduction of nerve impulses and transportation of nutrients to the cells. People have been using salt since time immemorial. Salt, which is primarily constituted of sodium chloride, is available in various forms. This includes sea salt, kosher salt, table salt, iodized salt, rock salt, Celtic salt, etc. Salt can be either mined from salt mines and rock salt deposits or can be produced from sea water through the process of distillation. Some forms of sea salt are unrefined, whereas, some others are refined and may also contain additives. This article deals with the various aspects of iodized salt vs. sea salt.

What is Iodized Salt?

As mentioned above, some forms of salt are refined and blended with additives. One such salt is iodized salt, which is fortified with the essential trace mineral iodine. It can be defined as a type of salt that contains various iodine-containing salts, like, potassium iodide, sodium iodide, or sodium iodate. Iodized salt was introduced to counter the rising incidences of diseases related to iodine deficiency. This includes thyroid gland problems, specifically goiter. Iodine is required by the human body in very small quantities and the use of iodized salt is believed to reduce the incidences of iodine deficiency and other related disorders. Studies show that 150 micrograms is the daily iodine requirement of a human being and one teaspoon of iodized salt provides around 400 micrograms. Most of the table salt brands contain iodine and these products come with labels that show the iodine content.

What is Sea Salt?

It has already been stated that salt is either obtained from sea water or salt mines or rock salt deposits. Sea salt is produced by the evaporation of sea water and otherwise known as bay salt or solar salt. Sea salt contains trace minerals and because of this, it has a slightly different taste from other forms of refined salt. It is more expensive than table salt and is mainly used for cooking and is also included in cosmetics. It is mainly used as a natural exfoliant in some cosmetic products. Natural sea salt is one of the basic ingredients in many bath salt mixtures. As far as cooking is concerned, sea salt is said to have a less salty flavor, especially, the coarser versions. While, 98% of sea salt is sodium chloride, the remaining 2% contains various trace minerals, like, iron, magnesium, sulfur or iodine. Read more on sea salt benefits.

Iodized Salt Vs. Sea Salt

Now you know more about iodized salt and sea salt. Even though, both are used for human consumption, there are some basic differences between the two. Let us take a look at the difference between iodized salt and sea salt. While, sea salt is produced exclusively from sea water, iodized salt can be produced from both sea water and salt deposits. Sea salt comes in both refined and non refined forms, but, most of the iodized salt brands are refined. Even though, salt is mainly composed of sodium chloride, sea salt contain some trace minerals too. However, iodized salt is processed and refined in such a way that such trace minerals get removed.

One of the main features of iodized salt is that it is fortified with iodine, which is necessary to prevent iodine deficiency and related conditions. Even sea salt contains iodine in traces, but, not sufficient enough to meet the daily requirement of a human body. Sea salt is said to be less salty in flavor, as compared to iodized salt. This is because, sea salt is mostly sold as coarse granules without additives, whereas, iodized salt has a fine texture with added iodine and other additives, like, anti-caking elements. Another aspect of iodized salt vs. salt (sea) is that pure sea salt is said to possess impurities, that are usually not seen in iodized salt, which is refined and the impurities are removed.

Now, you have a basic understanding about the various aspects of iodized salt vs. sea salt. You may use any salt, as per your choice, but, iodized salt is claimed to be beneficial in reducing the risk of health problems related to iodine deficiency. It is also contended that excess use of iodized salt is also not good for the health.