Salt has become an important part of everyday life. Often used as a mixture for cooking, salt has been shown to make food taste better and more appetizing. Apart from table salt which is commonly consumed, the natural sea salt is gaining popularity recently. Many people perceive sea salt as a healthful alternative to table salt. Let’s find out the natural sea salt facts
In general, salt is a crystal formed from two chemical components, namely sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl). Hence, salt has the chemical name sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium and chloride are the two main types of electrolytes in human body fluids, which have significant benefits such as aiding nerve and brain impulses.
Natural sea salt
1. Sea salt
As its name implies, sea salt is derived from seawater. Most of the components of sea salt are sodium chloride. Unlike table salt which generally has a fine texture, sea salt has a texture that tends to be coarser.
This salt, which is made by evaporating seawater, also contains various minerals, such as potassium, iron, and zinc. The darker the color of the sea salt, the more nutrients it contains. This is because the dark sea salt goes through very little processing.
2. Rosella salt
Rosella flower is a flower that has many health benefits. This red flower has several vitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin B3 (niacin), and vitamin B9 (folate). The content of types of minerals such as iron, calcium, zinc, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium are also found in rosella flowers. In general, rosella flowers are enjoyed in the form of tea.
However, at this time rosella is also used as natural salt. Rosella salt has a natural pink color that results from the color of rosella flowers.
3. Table salt
Table salt is a common salt that is generally used by almost all Indonesians, both in households and restaurants. Kitchen salt usually has been through a long process, so the texture is smoother and the color is whiter. However, due to this processing, the mineral content contained in it can be less. In addition, some common table salt producers also add substances to prevent the salt grains from clumping together.
Table salt contains at least 97% sodium chloride. In addition, table salt in Indonesia is also enriched with iodine as part of a government program to prevent mumps or hypothyroidism (thyroid hormone deficiency).
Which one better?
The mineral content in sea salt and rosella salt is indeed more than ordinary table salt because it goes through fewer processing steps. However, the difference is more or less negligible, because the amount of salt you consume is relatively small and insignificant.
However, people with a clean eating habit tend to prefer sea salt and pink salt. This is because both types of salt are preservative-free and do not add anti-clot chemicals like regular table salt.
Apart from that, regular table salt, sea salt, or pink salt actually has healthy ingredients and benefits that are not much different. If you feel that sea salt or rosella salt is better, you can choose it as an alternative to daily salt.