Salt

Mineral,  processed from salt mines, by the evaporation of seawater (sea salt) and mineral-rich spring water in shallow pools.

Refined Salt or Table Salt
Heavily ground, 97% pure sodium chloride. Often contains added iodine.*

Kosher Salt
Large grain size. A slightly different taste, hardly noticeable when dissolved. Less likely to have added iodine.*

Celtic Sea Salt
A type of sea salt with a grayish color that also contains a bit of water, which makes it quite moist. It has trace amounts of minerals and is a bit lower in sodium than plain table salt.

Sea Salt
Coarse. Basically sodium chloride. Usually contains various trace minerals like potassium, iron and zinc.

Himalayan Pink Salt
From the Khewra Salt Mine, in Pakistan, the second largest salt mine in the world. Often contains trace amounts of iron oxide (rust), the source of its pink colour. Has small amounts of calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium, making it slightly lower in sodium than regular table salt.

*IODINE

Micronutrients, such as iodine, are types of nutrients that people need in small amounts. Iodine is important for a person’s thyroid to function normally. (The thyroid is a gland in the neck that makes key hormones.) It is found in small amounts in other foods, including saltwater fish, seaweed, shellfish, yogurt, milk, eggs, cheese and a handful of other edibles. If a person doesn’t consume enough iodine, they can become iodine deficient. The lack of this micronutrient can cause different medical problems (usually due to hypothyroidism caused by a thyroid that does not make enough hormones). These conditions include goiter (a visible swelling of the thyroid) as well as serious birth defects. In fact, iodine deficiency is the most common preventable cause of mental retardation.

A sufficient intake of iodine during pregnancy is vital for the brain and neurological development of the fetus which is dependent on the action of thyroid hormones.

Sources: Scientific American, BDA

Salt