You switched to Himalayan pink because wellness culture told you it was better. Guess what? It may have lead in it. Also, you may be iodine deficient now.
In articles from Vogue to Parade, not to mention #WellnessTok, I’ve seen claims abounding: “Unprocessed salt has more electrolytes and trace minerals.” “Use Himalayan pink salt as a metabolic tonic.” “Celtic salt creates glowing, hydrated skin.”
But wait, there’s more! Per influencers, good old-fashioned iodized salt is the enemy—”bleached, stripped of nutrients,” and full of “poison” anti-caking agents.
Screeeech. Hold up. Don’t we need iodine?
In just a few years, consumers started paying 10 times more for salt with “less processing”—more profit for companies, with a helping of trace minerals, heavy metal contaminants, and iodine deficiency for us. No less than three studies have found exorbitantly high levels of lead in numerous salt types, with nary a news story.
The Wellness Grift: Iodized Salt vs. Sea and Rock Salt
To make iodized salt, companies process sea or rock salt, mined from ancient seabeds. Processing removes both minerals and contaminants. Pure sodium chloride is white, so when influencers say it’s “bleached,” don’t believe it. That’s fake news.
Next, they add iodine, plus anti-caking agents—so that “when it rains, it pours,” the slogan that made Morton’s a household name.
“Gram for gram, all salts have the same impact … on blood pressure, kidneys, heart, all the tissues that are sodium-sensitive,” explained Chris Chlebowski, a naturopathic doctor (N.D.) in Oregon. “I have a lot of [clients] who would term themselves health-conscious, who have completely steered away from iodized salt. It’s a concern of mine because you can end up iodine deficient.”
Why Do Companies Add Iodine to Salt Anyway?
Companies started iodizing salt in the 1920s—one of the most successful public health interventions in human history. Adding iodine to salt became a cheap, effective way to eliminate goiter—swellings of the thyroid gland—resulting from extreme iodine deficiency in the 20th century.
Although we solved this problem a century ago, is wellness culture quietly undoing it?
We don’t want to get goiters again, right? Iodine is one of women’s most important trace minerals, which we can only get from the diet.
“We need it to make thyroid hormones,” added Chlebowski, which regulate metabolism, heart health, the nervous system, and more.
“If your thyroid doesn’t work well … women gain weight, they can have poor bone health—osteopenia and osteoporosis,” explained Chlebowski, noting that the thyroid also affects breast health. Inadequate iodine can cause fibrocystic breasts—more common in our 40s and 50s.
Are Specialty Salts Causing Iodine Deficiency?
The use of specialty salts skyrocketed in the 2010s. Their use grew so fast that, today, less than half the salt Americans buy is iodized.
Concurrently, iodine inadequacy in Americans doubled. And yes, experts have linked the two. To be fair, it’s not the only cause—lower dairy consumption and the rise of vegan and Paleo diets have also played a role. But the timing isn’t a coincidence.
“Most salt intake comes from processed foods in the Western diet,” said Bridgette Hamby, a dietitian with the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease in Maryland—70 percent in fact. “If people cook most of their meals from scratch using whole foods, their overall salt intake will be lower.”
When people reduce sodium, they often reduce what they shake at home—paying less attention to processed foods. The result? Less iodine, without significantly less sodium. This has contributed to the rise in iodine deficiency in women.
In the U.S., companies are only required to iodize table salt, and not salt added to processed foods. In 120 countries—including Mexico and Canada—all salt used for human consumption must be iodized. Perhaps we should change that?
Iodine comes from animal sources like milk, eggs, and fish, so if you’re vegan—unless you’re a fan of seaweed (the only plant source of iodine)—and you insist on steering clear of iodized salt, take some dang iodine supplements.
Salt Sensitivity and Older Women
Women know salt sensitivity better than men: It causes fluid retention and bloating externally and inflammation internally. Along with a loss of collagen, weight gain, and other exciting body adventures, “postmenopausal women can become [even] more salt sensitive,” said Chlebowski.
When estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and DHEA decline post-menopause, our blood vessels stiffen. That causes kidneys to filter salt less efficiently, which in turn, raises blood pressure.
Fortunately, salt sensitivity cuts both ways. Reducing sodium provides quicker benefits, like reduced blood pressure, compared with younger people.
Whatever our age, most Americans consume 3,400 milligrams of sodium daily, much more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 2,300 milligrams. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 milligrams daily.
The Ingredient That Freaks Everyone Out
Anti-caking agents are one of the reasons “people run screaming” from table salt, said Chlebowski.
Ferrocyanides are some of the most common. The cyanide molecule freaks people out, but science shows the body excretes more than 99 percent. With growing concern over anti-caking agents, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) spent a decade re-evaluating many food additives and had enough data to conclude ferrocyanides aren’t carcinogenic or genotoxic, and, at current intakes, are “of no safety concern.”
For aluminosilicates, as well as calcium silicates and magnesium silicates, the agency determined safety “cannot be assessed” from existing data. The FDA hasn’t evaluated anti-caking agents since the late 1970s.
At any rate, “You have to eat a giant amount of conventional salt to have any problem,” added Chlebowski. And here’s the rub: Companies add them to many processed foods, including pre-grated cheeses, spices, powdered cocoa, and supplements—not just table salt. To eliminate anti-caking agents, you’d have to chuck processed foods entirely.
Influencers selling you $14 artisanal salt aren’t telling you that.
Essential Trace Minerals? Or Frightening Heavy Metals?
So now that I feel better about using iodized salt, what about my beloved specialty salts?
Scientists tested Himalayan salts (all of which come from the same region in Pakistan), finding dramatic variation in nutrients. However, they concluded that a person must consume 6 teaspoons for “meaningful contribution to nutrient intake.”
In contrast, scientists testing 10 salts for 12 elements found that some could meaningfully add to daily requirements. Smoked salts were zinc-rich. Atlantic grey exceeded chromium requirements. Persian blue had high iron, copper, chromium, but—hold up—also heavy metals, including arsenic and lead. The FDA requires less than 10 ppb in most foods; this study found 5,000 to 9,000 ppb.
WHAT THE ACTUAL F***?! Per the World Health Organization, there’s “no level of exposure … without harmful effects.” Several other studies have found lead, arsenic, and mercury in salts, at lower levels but still over limits.
Unfortunately, the FDA rarely inspects imported salt. Companies are left to ensure their own products remain contaminant-free. And the FDA hasn’t followed up on these studies, at least not publicly. Clearly, someone missed the memo.
I’ll take the caking agents over lead, thankyouverymuch. Morton’s may not be clear either; an independent lab found 5 ppb lead—far lower than the salts in the previous study, though, and under FDA limits.
It’s Everywhere. Literally. Microplastics.
Microplastics in salt did make the news, but they’re everywhere—in the sea, at the top of mountains, in our brains, guts, and lungs. The smaller, the more concerning.
“We’re mostly worried about the uptake of nanoplastics through our diet … because we know people haven’t done a good job of quantifying that yet,” said Matthew Campen, health sciences professor at the University of New Mexico. “The problem is that, technologically speaking, we have no really great methods to detect that.” Though much remains science-in-progress, early findings suggest they cross cell membranes and even the mighty blood-brain barrier.
You might expect more microplastics in sea salt due to the widespread plastics in the ocean—remember floating plastic garbage patches, some the size of Alaska? Still there. Interestingly, terrestrial salts seem to have more plastic contamination than sea salt.
The Bottom Line
Understanding the important role iodine plays in our postmenopausal health was enough to make me pull out my navy-blue container of iodized salt and integrate more into my diet. Reducing overall sodium intake is also critical. But like the rest of us, I had no idea about the outrageous levels of lead and other heavy metals in some specialty salts. That’s an issue I feel compelled to take seriously.
If you wouldn’t trust Big Tobacco telling you cigarettes are safe, employ the same skepticism toward influencers. Use their hot takes as conversation starters, rather than the endpoint. In other words, take it with a grain of salt.
******
MEDICAL ADVICE DISCLAIMER
DISCLAIMER: This website does not provide medical advice. For health or wellness-related content, SFD Media LLC emphasizes that information about medicines, treatments, and therapeutic goods (including text, graphics, and images) is provided for general information only. No material on this site is intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users are advised to independently evaluate and verify the accuracy, reliability, and suitability of the information before relying on it. You should not rely on the content as a substitute for professional medical advice. Consult with a physician or other health care professional for any health concerns or questions you may have. SFD Media LLC is not responsible for any action taken based on the information provided on this website. The use of any information provided on this website is solely at your own risk.
