Sea Salt vs. Iodized Salt: A Healthy Balance
🧂 Your body only needs about 200–500 mg of sodium per day — far less than most people consume. But while sea salt is trendy and flavorful, it can lack iodine, an essential nutrient your thyroid needs. If you’re only using sea salt and avoiding processed foods, you might be falling short on iodine — even if your sodium levels are fine.
Salt has become a nutrition villain, but like most things, it’s about balance. We need sodium — just not as much as we typically get. The average person consumes 3,400 mg of sodium a day, but our bodies only require around 200–500 mg. That’s less than 1/4 teaspoon of salt!
Most of this excess doesn’t come from your salt shaker — it comes from processed and packaged foods where salt is used to preserve, enhance flavor, and increase shelf life. If you’re eating mostly fresh foods and cooking at home, you're likely doing better than most. But there’s a catch.
If you're using only sea salt, you may be missing out on iodine, which your thyroid needs to produce hormones. Unlike iodized salt, sea salt isn’t fortified, however, it is derived from evaporated seawater, contains trace minerals (e.g., magnesium, calcium). Unless you’re regularly eating seaweed, seafood, or dairy, you may need to include a little iodized salt to stay in balance. Iodized salt is mined from underground salt deposits,fortified with iodine to prevent deficiency, has a fine texture, and dissolves easily. It is naturally in Seafood (e.g., cod, shrimp), dairy products (e.g., milk, cheese) and eggs.
So what’s the takeaway?
Sea salt is fine for flavor, but don’t skip iodized salt entirely. Even just 1/4 teaspoon of iodized salt a day can help you meet your iodine needs — without overdoing the sodium.
Next time you reach for the salt, ask yourself: is it giving me what I need — or just what I like? A simple mix of sea salt and iodized salt might be the smartest seasoning switch you make all year.
Tips for Balancing between the 2:
Use sea salt for flavor and texture in cooking only as needed
Incorporate iodized salt to meet iodine needs
Monitor processed food intake to control sodium levels
References
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025.
https://www.dietaryguidelines.govAmerican Heart Association (AHA).
How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day?
https://www.heart.orgWorld Health Organization (WHO).
Guideline: Sodium intake for adults and children. (2012)
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241504836National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Office of Dietary Supplements.
Iodine Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Sodium and Food Sources.
https://www.cdc.gov/salt/food.htmHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The Nutrition Source: Salt and Sodium.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/
