What is the difference between Sea Salt and Table Salt?

Question

And is one better for you than the other?

Answer 1

Most salt that is mined is from a dried up sea. This salt has fewer other minerals than evaporated sea water. It may also be washed w/ a super saturated salt solution to remove contaminates and debris. Table salt has an anti-caking agent and/or iodine added. The iodine is added as a preventative for goiter. Anti-caking agents are various compounds of calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, aluminum and silicates. They are in trace amounts. Pickling salt is the purest salt available to the consumer. It has no additives of any sort. This pure salt is what is used in home canning and by commercial canners.

Sea salt will have flavor due to mineral and metal content. This will vary depending on the area of origin. Despite the hype from a number of health food sources, there is not enough mineral or trace metal content to affect health. If you consumed enough of the salt to gain health benefits from the minerals and metals, then you would encounter health issues related to too much NaCl (AKA table salt) intake. Personally I'm somewhat dubious about consuming salt that has been taken from today's polluted oceans.

Answer 2

I got this from the Mayo Clinic:

Sea salt and table salt have the same nutritional value. The real differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste and texture.

Sea salt is harvested from seawater through evaporation. Table salt is typically from rock salt, which is mined from mineral deposits. Both types of salt can be fully refined, and the end result is pure sodium chloride. Variations in the refining process result in different forms of salt.

Table salt is a fine-grained salt that often contains added iodine (iodized salt). Iodine is necessary for normal thyroid function. Some table salt may also contain anti-caking ingredient.

Sea salt is available in fine or coarse grain. Sea salt has a slightly different taste than table salt because of different minerals it contains. Many people prefer sea salt to table salt because they claim it has a more subtle flavor. Sea sat doesn't contain iodine or any other additives. However, if you use sea salt you typically don't have to worry about not getting enough iodine in your diet because iodine is available in many other foods, including dairy products, seafood and many processed foods.

If you favor foods with fewer additives, you may prefer sea salt. But there's no evidence that the additives in table salt are harmful to your health. Although your body needs some sodium to function properly, most people eat too much, which can lead to high blood pressure. Whether you use sea salt, table salt or some other type of salt, most experts recommend between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day for healthy adults.

Answer 3

Sea salt is a natural, coarser salt. Table salt has been processed and is iodized.

Answer 4

sea salt comes from the sea

table salt is usually mined from a salt mine on land

Answer 5

Sea salt is produced through seawater evaporation - tastes good and natural

Table salt can be produced in mines

Answer 6

Better ??? what is that??
did you look in the dictionary
you wasted points and spent time typing when you could just click the Yahoo toolbar Reference
and click the Dictionary and type the word "sea salt"
and get THIS
Copy and paste

sea salt
NOUN:
Salt that is produced by the evaporation of sea water and that contains sodium chloride and trace elements such as sulfur, magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, and iron.

You try it for other salts

Answer 7

sometimes the difference is in whether the table salt is iodized or non-iodized. sea salt is not, and it's best to stay away from those that are.

Answer 8

sea salt comes from the sea and is healthier i use it all the time. table salt comes from underground mines and has to be purified.

Answer 9

One is in the ocean the other is at Mac restraunt. Sea salt because it isn't at Mac restraunt.

Answer 10

Sea salt is coarser and doesn't have iodine.