The wave of artisanal salts in the culinary world has convinced many consumers that choosing natural salt is healthy. These products tout having extra minerals and less processing.
But if you examine the nutrition labels, the benefits are mostly illusory. Both sea salt and table salt deliver similar sodium content per weight, and any added minerals in natural salt show up only in traces. Getting your potassium or magnesium from these salts isn’t practical.
The real concern should be the sheer amount of sodium people consume—far above health guidelines. Overeating salt, no matter the origin, has well-documented health risks, including raised blood pressure and cardiovascular issues.
To truly improve your health, reduce your salt use and be wary of hidden sodium in everyday foods like bread and ready-made sauces.