Ingredient · Nutrient
Sea salt
Also known as: Meersalz
Sea salt is table salt from evaporated seawater - fine in normal food amounts, risky only if you eat a lot of sodium overall.
Sea salt is mostly sodium chloride with trace minerals, used to season and preserve food. It behaves like ordinary salt in the body, so the concern is total sodium intake, not sea salt itself.
Why it matters
Sea salt is made by evaporating seawater, leaving behind salt crystals. Chemically it's almost all sodium chloride (the same as mined table salt), plus tiny amounts of other minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium that give it slightly different taste and texture. In food, it seasons, preserves, and helps with texture (like in bread dough or brining). In the body, sodium and chloride are essential - they help control fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle function. The trace minerals in sea salt are present in amounts too small to matter nutritionally. Almost everyone eats salt daily without issue; concern only arises around total sodium intake, not from sea salt specifically.
Sources (3)
- 1.WHO Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children
- 2.FDA - Sodium in Your Diet
- 3.EFSA Dietary Reference Values for sodium
