While there might not be as many types of salt as there are sugar, there are enough to make you think about which one might be the best fit for you. Some of the most popular types of salt are regular table salt, sea salt, and Himalayan (pink) salt. What’s the difference between all of them?!
The main differences between table salt vs. sea salt vs. Himalayan salt are: where they are harvested, the level of processing, and their sodium and mineral content.
Are any of these types of salt good for a low-sodium diet? Find out below…

What is “regular” table salt?
Good ole’ “regular” salt, aka table salt, is the kind of salt you’ll find in most people’s cupboards in the United States. It’s also the most common kind of salt at restaurant tables, in salt packets…you get the picture.
Table salt – as well as the other types of salt – consists of a compound of sodium and chloride ions to make sodium chloride (NaCl if you like chemistry). The sodium in salt is where the nutrient “sodium” comes from.
Regular salt is typically processed to form ultrafine and uniform salt crystals, also called granulated salt. Typically harvested from underground salt mines versus using salty sea water for sea salt (more on that soon, don’t worry). Table salt is usually processed to remove other minerals and has the nutrient iodine added to make it “iodized salt”.
All about sea salt
Sea salt gained popularity in recent decades as people started becoming more health conscious and wanting more natural foods. Sea salt is considered less processed than table salt, which is one of the reasons it has become the preferred salt for more health-conscious people.
Sea salt is produced by evaporating water from shallow ponds of seawater or the salt deposits on rocks. When water is evaporated out, only the salt remains. Unlike table salt, sea salt doesn’t undergo other refining, nor does it have iodine added to it. Because it’s not refined like regular salt, sea salt contains other trace minerals like magnesium and potassium – but not in high enough amounts to satisfy nutrient needs.
You can find sea salt in coarse crystals or granulated like table salt. Sea salt grinders are another option to customize the grind size of your sea salt.
…and Himalayan salt?
Also known as “pink salt”, Himalayan salt is more similar to sea salt than table salt. Himalayan salt is mainly harvested in Pakistan at the Khewra Salt Mine. Himalayan salt gets its pink hue because of the higher concentration of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron compared to regular salt and sea salt.
Like sea salt, Himalayan salt is minimally processed and doesn’t have iodine added to it. It’s available in a fine grind or coarsely ground crystals.
Sodium content in table salt vs. sea salt vs. Himalayan salt
Whether you choose table salt, sea salt, or Himalayan salt, the majority of the minerals in them are sodium chloride. That means that they’re all, well – SALT.
Is there a standout salt for being lower in sodium? Let’s look at the nutrition stats for the different types to compare…
Brand | Amount of sodium per teaspoon | |
Table salt | Morton | 2,360 milligrams |
Sea salt (fine grind) | Morton | 2,240 milligrams |
Himalayan salt (fine grind) | Morton | 2,120 milligrams |
As you can see, table salt is highest in sodium per teaspoon compared to sea salt and Himalayan salt. The reason table salt is higher in sodium is because it’s refined to remove other trade minerals, therefore concentrating the amount of sodium chloride (sodium).
Because sea salt and Himalayan salt contain other trace minerals, the sodium content is ever so slightly diluted to make it lower in sodium.
That doesn’t mean that sea salt or Himalayan salt are good options for a low-sodium diet, nor are they low-sodium by any means. The bottom line is that whichever type of salt you choose, it’s still high in sodium, so you should stick to the recommended amounts of sodium recommended by your healthcare provider.
(In general, it’s recommended to limit your sodium consumption to 2,300 milligrams or fewer per day, which is around the amount you’ll find in a teaspoon of salt.)
Are sea salt or Himalayan salt better for you?
It’s a bit of a myth that sea salt and Himalayan salt are significantly “better” for you than regular salt, especially in terms of sodium intake. Regular salt IS a bit higher in sodium, but not enough to be considered significant when it comes to your sodium intake overall.
Sea salt and Himalayan salt are a bit higher in trace minerals…but not so much that they’ll help meet your nutrient needs given the typical amount of salt used. To give you an idea, one study notes that the sea salt tested contained 3.9 milligrams of magnesium per gram.
Let’s do some math: that means that one teaspoon of sea salt (5.6 grams) would contain around 22 milligrams of magnesium. Adults need anywhere from 310-420 milligrams of magnesium daily, so one teaspoon of sea salt would provide 7% of the low end of that range – and your entire day’s worth of sodium while you’re at it.
Sea salt and Himalayan salt are less processed and DO contain more trace minerals (table salt is nearly 100% sodium chloride), so if eating less refined and more natural products is important to you, then they’re good options (but don’t contain added iodine).
FAQs:
Despite its pink color, Himalayan salt doesn’t taste that much different than regular salt or sea salt. Some people say that Himalayan salt tastes more “mild” and “earthy” compared to sea salt – but most people likely wouldn’t be able to tell the difference in a taste test.
While it’s slightly lower in sodium than regular table salt, sea salt is still a significant source of sodium and is not low-sodium.
Iodine is a nutrient important for thyroid health. Iodine deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies worldwide, impacting up to 45% of the world’s population (especially in developing countries). Iodine is added to salt to try to reduce the prevalence of iodine deficiency.
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