Is The Pakistani Pink Salt More Beneficial Than Regular Salt?

 

In recent years, the spice shelves at supermarkets have been flooded with new products.

Now, if you go to the supermarket to buy salt, you will see different types of salt on the shelves: refined salt, cooking salt, and granular salt.

In addition, the recently popular Himalayan pink salt, light salt, and low-sodium salt, etc., are also available on the shelves. All these types of salt are claimed to have less sodium than regular salt.

All these types of salt promise health benefits and help the human body fight or prevent hypertension. Remember, hypertension is a disease that can lead to heart attacks, damage to the arteries of the brain, and even death.

But do these types of salt, which are losing their health benefits, really contain everything that the companies that make them claim?

Experts say that "more important than choosing a particular type of salt is knowing how to use it in moderation."

There is generally evidence that low-sodium salt is beneficial for health, as long as it is used in the right way and in the right amount.

However, there is no such evidence for Himalayan pink salt and granular salt.

Studies show that Himalayan pink salt and rock salt have exactly the same amount of sodium as regular salt. And even if traditional salt is replaced with pink or rock salt, there is no change in blood pressure.

Now it is time to understand the difference among these types of salt, and to know how much to use and how to use it so it is not harmful to health.

Common Kitchen Salt

Dr. Weimar Barroso, president of the Brazilian Society of Cardiology, jokingly says, “If sodium had been discovered today, health authorities would never have approved it for human consumption.”

That aside, salt is essential for our bodies to stay healthy and for the organs to function properly.

Salt has been used since ancient times to enhance the flavor of food or to preserve certain foods, such as meat and fish.

The technical name for the salt we all have in our kitchens is ‘sodium chloride,’ which means it contains compounds of chlorine and sodium.

According to the World Health Organization, no person should consume more than five grams of salt per day.

But in practice, most people consume more than five grams. So where are we going wrong?

Dr. Weimar Barroso says that a large villain in this case is sodium contained in industrial products.

“About 80 percent of this consumption comes from ultra-processed foods or sausages, and 20 percent comes from the extra salt that we add to food,” says the cardiologist and professor at the Federal University of Goias.

“A single spice tablet, used on meat or legumes, contains practically all the sodium that a person should eat for an entire day,” says nutritionist Camila Cristina da Silva Santos.

But why is excess salt a problem, and what effects does its consumption have on the body?

Barroso explains that excess sodium has serious effects, such as body fluid retention. And on the contrary, volemia, which causes an increase in the volume of blood during circulation.

The result is additional, unnecessary pressure on the walls of blood vessels, which in the long term leads to high blood pressure.

The doctor says that ‘excess sodium also affects the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, which has an important role in regulating blood pressure.’

This uncontrolled pressure can cause ‘injury’ to the inner walls of the vessels that carry blood to the body. And this has the potential to cause very serious and even fatal complications such as heart attacks and strokes.

Salt with Reduced Sodium

Low-sodium salt is one in which the sodium content is reduced by 50% in the final product.

It is usually replaced with potassium. It contains half sodium chloride, half potassium chloride.

There are versions with a reduced sodium content. Usually, their packaging contains words like ‘low’ or ‘rich in potassium’.

A survey conducted in Australia concluded that patients with high blood pressure could benefit from this type of salt.

The article explains the idea that this ingredient is part of guidelines for the treatment of high blood pressure and that doctors recommend the use of low-sodium or potassium-rich salt for their patients.

Experts say that using low-sodium salt poses one obstacle and two concerns.

The obstacle is cost. Light or low-sodium salt costs two to three times as much as regular refined salt. This can make it difficult for many people to fit it into their monthly budget.

Barroso suggested that “medical societies and governments should embrace this goal and think about ways to reduce the cost of salt with potassium as a public health strategy.”

This salt makes food less salty; to compensate for the taste, a person can use a larger portion during food preparation.

A study found that the amount of sodium would be the same as that consumed with regular salt, without any health benefits.

“It is very easy to consume too much, so these products need to be consumed in moderation,” says Luis Gustavo Mota, a nutritionist from ‘Hakker’ in São Paulo.

The second warning is for patients who have kidney problems.

Gustavo Mota further highlights this: “People with chronic kidney disease need to pay attention to potassium consumption, since the accumulation of this element can further damage the organs that are most vulnerable in this context.”

Pink Salt and Coarse or Granular Salt

Whether for gastrointestinal or health reasons, Himalayan pink salt has become a craze in recent years and has gained prominence in restaurants, markets, and emporiums.

Its color is pink, and extracted from salt rocks located in the Punjab region of Pakistan.

One of the arguments of those who defend its use is the amount of minerals, iron, and copper in its composition.

“It’s just salt, and it’s a mistake to associate it with the consumption of micronutrients, for which there are other suitable sources,” says Silva Santos.

Furthermore, the sodium content of Himalayan pink salt is practically the same as that of refined salt.

“We have very reliable studies that have compared blood pressure and sodium levels in the urine of people who used pink salt and regular salt,” Mota says.

“There were no other benefits seen in those who used low-sodium, pink salt,” the experts report.

The same message applies to coarse or granular salt. This seasoning, which is commonly used on barbecues, has recently gained popularity because it contains less sodium than table salt.

Barroso denies this, saying that “the sodium content in both is the same, that is, the same or equal.”

The Real Secret is in the Amount

If you want to prevent or control high blood pressure, the secret lies in the amount of salt in food preparation.

To change up and explore new flavors, Mota shares a simple recipe that uses coarse salt and finely ground dried herbs. Simply mix them in a blender or processor to get a spice mix with different flavors.

“These ideas can enhance the flavor of a dish while also reducing the sodium content,” he says.

Salva Santos follows the same line. She suggests looking for other spices when preparing recipes, such as black pepper, basil, rosemary, and bay leaves.

Experts say that removing table salt to use after food preparation is also a simple and effective tactic.

Finally, Barroso reminds us of the importance of consuming industrial, ultra-processed, and sausage products in great moderation.

“We have to get into the habit of reading food labels and always choose products that provide less sodium,” he says.

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