White, pink, black salt? Which is the best and the healthiest

Salt is a “sacred” material for cuisines all over the world and in particular for the Mediterranean one. This mineral raw material is the protagonist of many of the taste nuances of our diet. And like all things, it can be a very good friend or even a bad enemy of our health. The balance between the needs of the palate and those of health is decided on sodium and iodine of our organism. In addition, with the passage of time, the greater commercial availability and the increased gastronomic culture, we had the boom of salts of different origins and different colors. The ill-informed argue that all salts are the same and that colored ones are little more than a commercial gimmick to hook consumers and, with the excuse of the “exotic” product, raise prices. False, across the board. In this study we will see why the color of the salt defines its unique characteristics, and we will cross this information with that contained in the recent report of theHigher Institute of Health on which type of salt is most recommended for health.

Blue, pink, black, gray, white: each color has its own specialties

If he taste salt, helps preserve dishes, is a remedy for some health ailments and nourishes, on the other hand his misuse promotes diseases such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, water retention and acidosis which often results in painful stones. If we talk about refined white salt, it must be said that its chemical treatment tends to impoverish it of many properties and that it is absorbed with greater effort by our digestive system. So the use of white salt should be done in moderation. We come to the other colors, which are not just a question of aesthetics. The integral gray salt, also said salt flower it is naturally rich in iodine, calcium and magnesium, has a lower percentage of sodium, favors the alkaline PH which is what we should aim to avoid obesity, hypertension and internal inflammation. If you make this choice it is better orient ourselves towards the mine salt, because rock salt can bring with it the pollution of the seas from which it is extracted, the first of which is caused by hydrocarbons.

Variations of a food “palette”

Said of the wealth of the integral gray salt, with its 92 minerals out of the 93 that usually make it up, we come to the other colors. The pink Hymalaian salt it is particularly valuable and contains 84 trace minerals. It is nutritious, with a delicate and very versatile taste which makes it suitable for enriching dishes of all kinds. The black salt of Indian origin it is particularly rich in iron, has detoxifying properties and contains traces of vegetable carbon that help fight intestinal swelling. Its taste is intense, pungent, volcanic like its origin and it is ideal for flavoring salads, soups and vegetable soups. The Sred ale of Hawaiian origin it is also very popular for the color that “paints” the dishes to which it is added, it also has this detoxifying properties, is rich from a mineral point of view and has a very strong flavor. Not suitable, therefore, for dishes that already have their own rich taste. Finally, the Persian blue salt it is one of the most particular and rare. Little is produced and it is obtained from an ancient Iranian deposit in the province of Semnan. Its characteristic is the strong but short taste, in the mouth it dissolves quickly leaving a spicy aftertaste, perfect for fish, seafood and grilled meats.

Which one to choose for your health

As we said at the beginning, the decisive factor in putting together taste and health choices is the right ratio between sodium and iodine that we introduce into our body. A recent dossier fromHigher Institute of Health (available here) updates the recommendations for the use of this food raw material. Starting with the recommendation of the daily dose, which should stop at 5 grams, equal to 2 g of sodium. This limitation prevents hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, stomach tumors and poorly functioning kidneys. So: easy on the sodium. But on with iodine, this was already known and was reiterated by the ISS. Our average diet does not cover the body’s entire iodine needs. The rule remains, already fixed with the Law 55 of 2005, of the little salt but iodized. In fact, over the years it has become recognizable to the buyer even in large commercial chains. Net of personal taste, therefore, it is this type of salt enriched with iodine that must be preferred for the proper functioning of our body.