- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
Nutrition basics (20)
- Water softeners: How much sodium do they add?
- Caffeine: Is it dehydrating or not?
- Coffee and health: What does the research say?
- see all in Nutrition basics
Healthy diets (8)
- Diverticulitis diet: Can certain foods trigger an attack?
- Butter vs. margarine: Which is better for my heart?
- Canola oil: Does it contain toxins?
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Healthy cooking (10)
- Lentils: How do I cook with them?
- Food poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?
- Canned pumpkin: Better than fresh?
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Healthy menus and shopping strategies (6)
- Calories in sushi: What are the low-cal options?
- Vegetable juice: As good as whole vegetables?
- Buying beef? A guide to choosing the leanest cuts
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Nutritional supplements (15)
- Vitamin water: Better than plain water?
- Ground flaxseed: Better than whole?
- Vitamin C: Can too much be harmful?
- see all in Nutritional supplements
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Question
Sea salt vs. table salt: Which is healthier?
Is sea salt better for your health than table salt?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value — both mostly consist of two minerals — sodium and chloride. However, sea salt is often marketed as a more natural and healthy alternative. The real differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste, texture and processing, not their chemical makeup.
Sea salt is produced through evaporation of seawater, usually with little processing, which leaves behind some trace minerals and elements depending on its water source. These insignificant amounts of minerals add flavor and color to sea salt, which also comes in a variety of coarseness levels.
Table salt is mined from underground salt deposits. Table salt is more heavily processed to eliminate trace minerals and usually contains an additive to prevent clumping. Most table salt also has added iodine, an essential nutrient that appears naturally in minute amounts in sea salt.
By weight, sea salt and table salt contain about the same amount of sodium chloride. Your body needs only a couple hundred milligrams (mg) a day to stay healthy, but most people get far too much — mostly from sodium in processed foods. So regardless of which type of salt you prefer, keep sodium consumption between 1,500 and 2,300 mg of sodium a day if you're a healthy adult. People with high blood pressure, African-Americans and anyone middle-aged or older should aim for the low end of that range.
Next questionVitamin water: Better than plain water?
- Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2005. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines/default.htm. Accessed May 29, 2009.
- Dietary reference intakes (DRIs): Water, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulfate. Institute of Medicine. http://www.nap.edu/books/0309091691/html. Accessed May 15, 2009.
- Duyff RL. American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2006:145.
- Salt production technologies. Salt Institute. http://www.saltinstitute.org/layout/set/print/Production-industry/Production-technologies. Accessed May 21, 2009.
- Aquaron R. Iodine content of non iodized salts and iodized salts obtained from the retail markets worldwide. 8th World Salt Symposium. 2000;2:935.
- Salt FAQs. Salt Institute. http://www.saltinstitute.org/About-salt/Salt-FAQs. Accessed May 21, 2009.
- Hensrud DD (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 30, 2009.
