Is the sea salt craze all it's cracked up to be?

Sea salt this… sea salt that… what is up with the sea salt craze? Whether it's just straight up or sprinkled on snacks, it's definitely a growing trend. Even Wendy's jumped on the sea salt band wagon. So is it really better for you than table salt like the marketing makes it seem? We got some answers from dietitian, Bethany Thayer, Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Thayer explains, "The reason some claim sea salt is better for you than table salt is the additional trace minerals. And some people claim that they end up using less sea salt because of the flavor it imparts, and therefore are getting less of the sodium. I am not aware of any studies that have shown this is, in fact, to be true."

Interestingly, because table salt is ground so finely, more of it fits into a teaspoon than the larger grains of sea salt. So while 1/4 teaspoon of table salt has 590 mg sodium, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt has 400-590 mg sodium. But if you compare them by weight, the sodium levels are about the same.

Bottom line, cut down on the salt, whatever the type! We Americans have way too much of it. And remember, there is so much sodium in processed foods, even in those you may not suspect, like candy and pudding. Check out some of sodium's sneaky hiding places.

"When you compare a cucumber with approximately 6 mg of sodium to a pickle with 1,181 mg of sodium or 3 ounces of pork with 39 mg of sodium to 3 ounces of ham with 1,128 mg sodium, you get an idea of how much sodium is in our processed food," says Thayer.

That really puts it in perspective, doesn't it?

Also see:
Hidden sodium in foods you wouldn't think to check
Big, Fat Lie: Most sodium in food comes from the salt shaker
7 creative, tasty, and simple ways to slash the salt