Have you ever pondered the difference between table salt and sea salt as you’ve sat on a bad date in a restaurant, staring at the salt shaker while trying to plot your escape? Perhaps you weren’t in a situation so dire, but now that you’re thinking about salt, you might be wondering what exactly IS the difference between them.

Table salt and sea salt both contain the same amount of sodium. But that’s not what you need to be completely concerned with. It’s other factors as well. Most sea salt is naturally harvested and then dried, leaving to still retain all the trace minerals and electrolytes your body needs from salt.

Refined table salt contains only a few elements while natural sea salt contains close to 80 different minerals that your body needs like calcium, potassium, and magnesium for example. The mineral salts and electrolytes help with your enzyme production, immunity balance, and the proper function of glands like your thyroid and adrenal gland.

What sea salt lacks are the toxic additives you get from table salt. Sea salt is purely natural. Made simply from sea water, wind and sun, the salty water from the sea is collected in salt marshes and evaporates. It is then harvested and cleaned for an ecological and healthful way to bring out the flavors of the foods you cook.

The taste is different too. Sea salt is more complex, giving it a richer texture. The irregularity of the grains is pleasing to the palate. So while imparting a saltier flavor, it drives up the textural pleasures when you finish your dishes with a sprinkling of natural sea salt. Sea salt can also be purchased in fine or coarse varieties. While each will have variances between the grains in these grouping for that textural change, the coarse sea salt is best used with grinders.

Sea salt makes for the best finishing touch on anything you cook. It’s easier to refrain from over-salting your dishes when you use the coarse variety because it takes time to grind it. As with any type of salt, it’s best to add a little and then taste before adding more to ensure it is appropriately salty without going overboard.

Try adding sea salt to your dishes to add more minerals that your body needs to your diet. It makes sense that if you’re going to shake salt all over your foods that you should use the type of salt that can best benefit your body. Switch to sea salt today and discover the difference it makes in your cooking.