Sea salt and kosher salt: Are they better for you than regular salt?

Nutritionally speaking, kosher salt and sea salt are no different than table salt. The difference between these types of salt primarily concerns their taste and texture.

Salt can be harvested from seawater through evaporation (sea salt), or it can be mined from inland deposits (rock salt). Either can be fully refined, and the end result is pure sodium chloride. Variations in the refining process result in different forms of salt.

The type of salt that most people use in cooking and at the table is from rock salt. Table salt is a fine-grained salt that often contains added iodine, which is necessary for normal thyroid function. It may also contain an anti-caking ingredient, such as calcium silicate, to keep it flowing freely.

Kosher salt is a coarse-grained rock salt that usually has no additives. Gourmet cooks often prefer the texture and flavor of kosher salt in cooking. It is often used in the preparation of kosher meats.

Sea salt comes in either fine or coarse grain and has a slightly different taste because of different minerals it contains. Many people prefer sea salt to table salt because they claim it has a more subtle flavor. Like kosher salt, sea salt contains no additives.

Although your body needs some sodium to function properly, most people eat too much sodium, which can lead to high blood pressure. Most experts recommend between 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day for healthy adults.

Also, you typically don't have to worry about iodine deficiency, if you use noniodized salt for cooking and seasoning food. Iodine is readily available in many other foods, including dairy products and seafood. Also, many processed foods contain iodized salt.