More expensive, but not healthier What you need to know about the new salt alternatives

What can be added to soup? Suppliers of Himalayan salt, sea salt and similar products claim that they are more natural and healthier than supermarket salt. Pure sales strategy, say experts.

Salt is vital for the body. But which one should it be - rock salt, sea salt or perhaps Himalayan salt? According to certain Internet providers, you should avoid conventional table salt from the supermarket. Instead, expensive alternatives are recommended.

Claim

"Table salt from the supermarket is harmful to health. It is stripped of important natural minerals. Instead, it is enriched with harmful additives."

Assessment

Largely false. Table salt is no less healthy than natural salt. However, one of the so-called anti-caking agents is controversial.

Facts

The main difference between the various salts is their origin. Sea salt is obtained by drying out seawater, rock salt is mined underground in tunnels. "These are deposits from primeval seas," explains Judith Schryro, nutrition expert at the Berlin Consumer Advice Center.

In Germany, the table salt known as common salt is also mainly extracted in underground salt pans and then processed industrially. This means that it is purified and refined. Elements such as potassium, iron and calcium are extracted, leaving behind the sodium chloride. Refining is not carried out for so-called natural salts.

"Natural salt has no health benefits compared to conventional table salt," says Schryro. The trace elements are "negligible quantities" that make no contribution to health. The biggest difference between the salts is the price. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) also states when asked: So-called gourmet salts are no healthier than conventional salt.

DGE recommends table salt with iodine and fluoride

"If table salt is used, it should be enriched with iodine and fluoride," says Silke Restemeyer from the DGE. The iodine supply of the population in Germany is showing a downward trend. A long-term undersupply of the vital trace element can lead to functional disorders of the thyroid gland. According to the DGE, fluoride-enriched salt helps to prevent tooth decay.

However, it is not necessary to consume table salt enriched with folic acid. The recommended folate intake can be covered by folate-rich foods, even if there is an increased requirement. Only pregnant women and women who wish to become pregnant are recommended to take special folic acid supplements. Folic acid is the synthetic version of the B vitamin folate. This plays a role in cell division and is involved in many growth and development processes in the body. Especially at the beginning of a pregnancy, it is very important to take it.

Disadvantages of table salt and natural salts

In contrast to other additives, so-called anti-caking agents are sometimes criticized. These substances are supposed to prevent the salt from clumping together. In recent years, there have been discussions about the anti-caking agent silicon dioxide (E 551). According to the consumer advice center, the grain size of the powder is particularly small - the nanoparticles are suspected of having a negative effect on health. Anti-caking agents must be labeled on the packaging and the permitted quantities are precisely defined in the European Union.

According to the consumer advice center, it is generally not harmful to consume natural salts. However, traces of microplastics are often found in sea salt, says Schryro. In the case of exotic salts, which are often advertised as gourmet salts, it should also be noted that they are less sustainable. Salt from Pakistan or South America, for example, has long transportation routes behind it.

The nutrition expert sees another possible disadvantage of natural salts: they are often much coarser than table salt. This could tempt people to consume larger quantities - especially if the salt is also advertised as being beneficial to health. "We all eat far too much salt anyway," emphasizes Schryro. The DGE recommends six grams per day.

"Before adding salt, always try the food first and refine dishes with spices and herbs," advises nutritionist Restemeyer. In this way, salt can be saved and the taste of the food can be emphasized. "Various studies indicate that dishes taste saltier if the salt is not so well distributed and the grain size is slightly coarser."

Health effect as a sales argument

A supposed health effect as a sales argument - is that even allowed? "Advertising is always inadmissible if the message is that this salt is important for a healthy diet," says Schryro.

In this context, the consumer advice center also warns against a certain advertised variant: drinking salt dissolved in brine. Some suppliers advise this - the salt water is supposed to lower blood pressure. In fact, however, additional salt can actually increase blood pressure in sensitive people, write the consumer advocates.

dpa