Salt vs Iodized Salt: Difference and Comparison

Generally, salts come from seawater or Rock deposits. It is a crystal composed of two elements that are sodium and chloride. Normal Salt is known as sodium chloride, and iodized Salt is a salt that contains sodium iodide. Both kinds of Salt are equally effective in enhancing the taste of any food, and they have some differences also.

Key Takeaways

1. Iodized salt contains added iodine, while regular salt does not.
2. Iodized salt helps prevent iodine deficiency disorders, while regular salt does not offer this health benefit.
3. Both iodized, and regular salt enhances flavor and preserves food, but iodized salt has additional health benefits.

Salt vs Iodized Salt

Salt, is a mineral that is commonly used as a seasoning to enhance the flavor of food. It is composed of two elements, sodium and chlorine. Iodized salt, is a type of table salt that has been fortified with iodine, a trace mineral that is essential for the production of thyroid hormones.

Salt, normal Salt, or non-iodized Salt is Salt without iodine in it. It consists of two minerals that are sodium and chloride. Normal Salt contains a high amount of sodium which can create problems like high blood pressure or other health-related problems. Normal salts come straight from the salt deposits and also add some chemicals. Salt has no expiry date. One can use it for a very long time.

Iodized Salt has an added nutrient in it that is iodine. Iodine is a chemical element that all human needs. It is a healthy element and helpful for people with thyroid deficiency. People with high blood pressure should use iodized salt. Iodine deficiency can cause the enlargement of our thyroid gland. The self-life of iodized is nearly five years. This Salt is helpful in maintaining a healthy diet and good health.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Salt	Iodized Salt
What is it	A mineral that has sodium and chloride in it.	A form of salt that contains iodine.
Additives	Comes straight from the sea and has no additives.	Iodine as an additive agent.
Health Benefits	It contains a high amount of sodium and one should limit its intake.	It is healthier than normal salts.
Purity	Sometimes have traces of other minerals.	It is pure and refined.
Self-life	Doesn’t have any expiry date, it last forever.	About five years.

What is Salt?

Salt is a natural crystalline mineral composed of sodium chloride or NaCl. Salt has great importance to humans as well as to animal health. It is one of the essential flavouring agents, and everyone needs it. But the amount of intake should be in control, not too much nor too little.

40% of Salt contains sodium. Our body uses Salt to balance the blood’s fluids, which is also an important nutrient for maintaining normal blood pressure. Most Americans eat too much Salt, which can damage cardiovascular health and can cause high blood pressure.

Our sales muscles need proper hydration, and we need to maintain a proper hydration level. Salt is necessary to maintain a healthy hydration level in our body. Salt is an essential flavouring agent and also has been used in the dyeing, tanning, and bleaching industries. It is also used in soap and pottery production.

Too little salt intake can cause fluid retention in our bodies. If the level of sodium in our body decrease, the person may experience symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, muscle ache, or loss of consciousness. Excessive sodium intake can also cause some other serious health issues.

What is Iodized Salt?

Iodized salt is essential for our body as it contains a small amount of sodium iodide or potassium iodide. The looks and the taste are all the same in both types of salts. Iodized Salt is important for a heart-healthy diet.

There are very minimal quantities of food in which iodine is found. Eggs, dairy products, and seafood contain iodine naturally. Consuming this kind of food can also prevent iodine deficiency. Our bodies cannot make iodine naturally. That’s why we need it.

Iodized Salt has lower health risks, and it is beneficial for our thyroid glands. It helps in the production of the thyroxine hormone. If we take a lesser amount of iodine, then iodine deficiency can happen, and we may face thyroid problems.

Our metabolism is related to the thyroid. It controls our body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate. Iodized Salt is also essential for our bone health and to keep our weight under control. It also supports a healthy pregnancy and keeps our body hydrated.

Main Differences Between Salt and Iodized Salt

1. Normal Salt contains the minerals sodium and chloride. On the other hand, iodized Salt is a kind of salt that contains iodine.
2. Iodine is absent in normal Salt. While in iodized Salt, iodine is present.
3. Normal Salt lasts forever, but iodized Salt expires in about five years.
4. Salt is used in chemical industries as a source of chloride and goes through chemical processing. On the other hand, iodized Salt went through processing, but it was used to overcome the deficiency of iodine.
5. Salt can come in different forms, like refined Salt or unrefined. On the other hand, iodized Salt is always refined Salt.
6. Iodized Salt is more beneficial for our health than normal Salt, which contains sodium and chloride in high amounts. Iodine is important to function our thyroxine hormone production properly, and it controls our blood pressure. While Salt is not preferable for a healthy diet.

References

1. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001687/abstract
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc2481146/