Is it true that … natural salt is healthier than table salt? | Health & wellbeing

Flaky sea salt, pink rock salt, fleur de sel … Because of a era of TV cooks sprinkling gourmand seasonings on dishes with aptitude, it feels instinctive that these pure, premium variations of sodium chloride are one way or the other more healthy than humble desk salt.And plenty of of them market themselves that manner – claiming that decrease ranges of processing and better ranges of minerals like potassium and magnesium make them the superior selection.However Sonia Pombo, a registered nutritionist and head of analysis and impression at Motion on Salt, disagrees. “The proof linking a excessive consumption of salt to raised blood strain could be very properly documented,” she says. (Overconsumption can also be linked to an elevated danger of abdomen most cancers, osteoporosis and kidney issues.) “A few of these corporations might attempt to persuade the general public they’re higher,” she says. “However if you happen to have a look at the tiny quantities of magnesium or potassium in these salts, it’s laughable. If you’d like micronutrients, eat a chunk of fruit.”Within the UK, adults are suggested to eat not more than six grams of salt a dayThe advantages of electrolytes, too, are sometimes overstated, she says. Saline drinks might be useful if you happen to’re recovering from a abdomen bug or coaching like an elite athlete on a restricted salt food plan. However for many of us? “They’re probably not crucial – we’re already consuming an excessive amount of salt.”Within the UK, adults are suggested to eat not more than six grams of salt a day. The newest figures present we eat 40% greater than that – however even six grams isn’t a goal to goal for, Pombo says. “We are able to survive and thrive on as little as one gram per day.”If you happen to’re apprehensive about how a lot salt you utilize, the one “higher” variety is low-sodium salt. The true reply is to regularly scale back consumption – slowly, so that you don’t discover the distinction. Cook dinner at dwelling extra typically and watch out for hidden salt in merchandise like bread and sauces.