What are the potential side effects or health benefits of kosher salt?
Are there any side effects or health benefits of using Kosher salt? There has been a lot of talk about the health benefits and side effects of using salt, no matter what variety, within the human diet. This article looks at some of the perceived benefits and side effects. But ultimately you should make up your own mind about the type and amount of salt you use daily.
Kosher salt side effects
There are always two sides to any story – so if there are any health benefits of kosher salt surely there must also be some negative ones? So let’s have a look at Kosher salt – side effects or health benefits, to find out more.
Is kosher salt bad for you?
Salt is needed in our daily diet but like anything else, too much of one thing may cause a few problems. And remember the overuse of any salt, including kosher salt, may lead to serious health conditions.
Sodium, contained within all salt, helps maintain your body with certain critical functions. But if you have too much sodium in your diet you are more likely to suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure). Consequently this can cause other serious health problems.
A high-sodium diet, and not following the daily recommended guidelines, may have negative impacts on your body and cause health issues due to:
- High blood pressure
- Damage to kidneys
- Damage to the liver
- Stroke
- Heart health
- Osteoporosis/brittle bones
What is Kosher salt?
Harvested from land salt mines, Kosher salt salt is a type of rock salt. Kosher salt is also natural and there is no requirement for it to go through a refinement process. Unlike table salt which is heavily refined, Kosher salt does not have any anti-caking or anti-clumping agents added. These added agents aid the flow of the refined salt.
What is Kosher salt vs sea salt?
Made up of large flaky crystals Kosher salt’s composition is sodium chloride. The main component of Sea Salt is sodium chloride and traces of iodine. Due to the large crystal structure of Kosher salt less should be used when substituting other salts, such as refined table salts in recipes and the cooking process.
The daily recommended guidelines advise that the minimum amount of salt an adult should consume should be less than 6g per day (2.4g sodium) – or about equal to 1 standard teaspoon of salt. But as kosher salt contains larger crystals you should reduce the quantity to just half a teaspoon.
- One teaspoon of refined table salt contains 6g of which the sodium content is 2,325 mg
- One teaspoon of sea salt contains 5g of which the sodium content is 1,872 mg
- One teaspoon of kosher salt contains 3g of which the sodium content is 1,120 mg
Are there any health benefits of using kosher salt?
Kosher salt health benefits – is Kosher salt healthy for you? Kosher salt can easily be included in your daily diet. Using Kosher salt can act as an aid to digestion, helps ease joint and muscle pain, can aid with weight loss, and help with skincare. Did you know you can gargle with kosher salt too? So, yes, we would acknowledge that there are health benefits when using kosher salt correctly in your diet.
FAQs
What are the disadvantages of kosher salt?
Kosher salt, whilst a firm favorite among chefs, does have a couple of drawbacks compared to other types of salt, like table salt. Due to the large, flaky nature of kosher salt crystals, it can be difficult to achieve even salting, especially in baking. A single sprinkle might deliver a heavier dose than intended. Also, the larger flakes take longer to dissolve than finer salts like table salt. This can become a bit of a problem in dishes where you want the salt to quickly incorporate throughout, like sauces or stocks.
Which salt is best for blood pressure?
There actually isn’t a single “best” salt for blood pressure. Regardless of the type (sea salt, Himalayan pink, kosher, etc.), all salts are predominantly sodium chloride. And, it’s the sodium content that can affect blood pressure. For blood pressure management, reducing overall sodium intake is more important than the specific type of salt. The American Heart Association recommends less than 2,300mg of sodium daily, ideally aiming for 1,500mg for those with hypertension.
Also you need to be aware that claims about certain salts (like Himalayan pink) having unique benefits for blood pressure lack strong scientific backing. More research needs to take place around this claim. You should always pay attention to how much sodium you consume overall, including salts that are used in processed foods and restaurant meals, which are often high in sodium.
You could also consider exploring low-sodium salt blends that partially replace sodium with potassium for a potential benefit, but again, ou should focus on using less salt overall.
Remember, consult your doctor for personalized advice on managing blood pressure through diet and other lifestyle changes.
Summary
There are recognized health benefits to using salt within the human diet. But remember to follow the recommended daily intake guidelines. Also remember to look for hidden salt used in processed foods as these still count towards your daily intake amount.
More ideas
If you would like to find out about other types of salt, or find out how to use Kosher salt in your cooking, why not pop on over to our Salt Products and Salt Recipe sections?