Himalayan and Sea Salts: Health Benefits, Toxic Metals, & Microplastics

Answer:

Himalayan salt and other specialty or gourmet salts from ancient mineral deposits, as well as Hawaiian, Mediterranean, and French sea salts, and Australian river salts, have become popular due to their flavor and suggested health benefits.

One of the potential health benefits commonly ascribed to these salts is that they have higher concentrations of essential minerals (like calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium, and chromium) than ordinary table salt (purified sodium chloride). In addition, if you have high blood pressure and are trying to limit sodium intake, these more flavorful salts may allow you to use less salt, therefore, consuming less sodium. However, these salts may provide lower amounts of essential minerals than you may expect. In addition, concerns have been raised about contamination of these salts with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury, as well as microplastics.

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