Sea Salt vs. Table Salt: Health Effects and Health Benefits

Sea salt vs. table salt production

Sea salt is usually produced using solar evaporation of sea water or water from salt lakes. Production of table salt involves mining and use of vacuum pan evaporators for extraction at very high temperature.

Sea salt vs. table salt composition

As a result, both types of salt have over 99.9% sodium chloride with the same sodium content. However, sea salt, due to more gentle production methods, has a higher mineral content. For example, magnesium can be at the level of about 2,000 ppm (parts per million). Table salt has large amounts of iodine added (sufficient to produce health benefits), as well as an anti-caking chemical that contains aluminum.

Sea salt vs. table salt: nutrition and health benefits

Even though nearly all people consume salt every day, there are virtually no studies that compared health benefits of sea salt vs. table salt. After using medical search engines, only one such study was found. It was conducted at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Maplewood. This study compared effects of tap water vs. distilled water and table salt vs. sea salt on blood pressure in rats over 4 month period of time. The abstract of this study is provided below.

Soviet and Russian Buteyko breathing doctors (over 150 medical professionals) suggested that sea salt health benefits are particularly noticeable in those people who produce large amounts of mucus (sputum or phlegm) due to their respiratory problems (asthma, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and so forth). They also suggested that table salt is not suited for human ingestion due to aluminum and due to other causes.

These doctors did not discover any adverse effects of large amounts of sea salt on most people, including those with high blood pressure. Furthermore, since most of their patients reported better well-being when using sea salt, leading Soviet physiologist Dr KP Buteyko, MD, PhD, suggested to use additional amounts of sea salt (up to 1/2-1 teaspoon per day) every day for increased-body oxygenation. Even people with severe gastritis, GERD and other digestive problems do not have any adverse reactions to extra sea salt if they apply the following protocol.

Instructions to use sea salt: dissolve 1/2-1 teaspoon of sea salt in a glass of spring or purified warm (or room temperature) water. Sip it slowly on an empty stomach when you start using it. Later, after 1-2 weeks, you can use it after meals or at any other time. Additional suggestions are:
- People with serious kidney problems need to follow their guidelines related to daily sodium intake.
- People with asthma or inflammation of airways need to use warm water only.
- People with gastritis should sip it slowly on an empty stomach until they solve their health problems.

It seems that all evidence points out that table salt is not good for human (and even rat) health. It is much better to use only sea salt for human nutrition.

In order to avoid iodine deficiency, one can include a small amount of sea weeds in a diet. Seaweeds have additional benefits due to high content of trace and rare minerals.

Many researchers believe that sea salt, when dissolved in purified or clean water, is able to restructure water-forming clusters, while table salt does not have this ability. Some Buteyko practitioners heavily emphasize benefits of supplemental-sea salt and nearly insist that they use additional-sea salt every day.

There are possible additional benefits when one breathes through sea salt or rock salt when using the Frolov device or Amazing DIY breathing device to increase body-oxygen content, especially for people with problems including the lungs and airways or with excessive mucus production.

References for sea salt vs. table salt differences

Flowers SW, Jamal IA, Bogden J, Thanki K, Ballester H, Hypertension induction in Dahl rats, J Natl Med Assoc. 1990 Dec;82(12):837-40.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Maplewood.
There is experimental and epidemiologic evidence that some minerals and trace elements play a role in hypertension. We designed an experiment in which salt and water sources were manipulated to examine the possible impact of this relationship. A strain of rats (Dahl rats) known to become hypertensive with sodium chloride ingestion was used to study the effect of salt source and water source on the induction of hypertension. The group on tap water and table salt had blood pressures (184 mmHg +/- 19) significantly higher than every other group in the experiment. The experimental animals receiving tap water plus table salt had the highest blood pressure levels, although they consumed the lowest quantity of sodium. Analysis of the tap water samples showed "soft water" by analysis of calcium and magnesium concentration. This could adversely affect blood pressure. The relatively high magnesium concentration in sun evaporated sea salt may play a protective role in hypertension induction. The zinc and copper present in tap water may play an exacerbating role.

Reference pages: Breathing norms and medical facts:
- Breathing norms: Parameters, graph, and description of the normal breathing pattern
- 6 breathing myths: Myths and superstitions about breathing and body oxygenation (prevalence: over 90%)
- Hyperventilation: Definitions of hyperventilation: their advantages and weak points
- Hyperventilation syndrome: Western scientific evidence about prevalence of chronic hyperventilation in patients with chronic conditions (37 medical studies)
- Normal minute ventilation: Small and slow breathing at rest is enjoyed by healthy subjects (14 studies)
- Hyperventilation prevalence: Present in over 90% of normal people (24 medical studies)
- HV and hypoxia: How and why deep breathing reduces oxygenation of cells and tissues of all vital organs
- Body-oxygen test (CP test) : How to measure your own breathing and body oxygenation (two in one) using a simple DIY test
- Body oxygen in healthy: Results for the body-oxygen test for healthy people (27 medical studies)
- Body oxygen in sick : Results for the body-oxygen test for sick people (14 medical studies)
- Buteyko Table of Health Zones: Clinical description and ranges for breathing zones: from the critically ill (severely sick) up to super healthy people with maximum possible body oxygenation
- Morning hyperventilation: Why people feel worse and critically ill people are most likely to die during early morning hours

References: pages about CO2 effect:
- Vasodilation: CO2 expands arteries and arterioles facilitating perfusion (or blood supply) to all vital organs
- The Bohr effect: How and why oxygen is released by red blood cells in tissues
- Cell oxygen levels: How alveolar CO2 influences oxygen transport
- Oxygen transport: O2 transport is controlled by vasoconstriction-vasodilation and the Bohr effects, both of which rely on CO2
- Free radical generation: Reactive oxygen species are produced within cells due to anaerobic cell respiration caused by cell hypoxia
- Inflammatory response: Chronic inflammation in fueled by the hypoxia-inducible factor 1, while normal breathing reduces and eliminates inflammation
- Nerve stabilization: People remain calm due to calmative or sedative effects of carbon dioxide in neurons or nerve cells
- Muscle relaxation: Relaxation of muscle cells is normal at high CO2, while hypocapnia causes muscular tension, poor posture and, sometimes, aggression and violence
- Bronchodilation: Dilation of airways (bronchi and bronchioles) is caused by carbon dioxide, and their constriction by hypocapnia (low CO2)
- Blood pH: Regulation of blood pH due to breathing and regulation of other bodily fluids
- CO2: lung damage: Elevated carbon dioxide prevents lung injury and promotes healing of lung tissues
- CO2: Topical carbon dioxide can heal skin and tissues
- Synthesis of glutamine in the brain, CO2 fixation, and other chemical reactions
- Deep breathing myth: Ignorant and naive people promote the idea that deep breathing and breathing more air at rest is beneficial for health
- Breathing control: How is our breathing regulated? Why hypocapnia makes breathing uneven, irregular and erratic.

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