The trace element content of indigenous salts compared with commercially refined substitutes

Abstract

Commercially refined salt has replaced many indigenous substances which formerly provided flavor and minerals to the diet of native peoples. Although the refined product provides ample, perhaps excessive, sodium and chloride in modern diets, the effect of the loss of minor nutrients from the diet due to this substitution is not known. Reported here are values for 16 trace elements, potassium and calcium in 45 salts categorized as commercial refined, commercial special (marketed sea salts, “health salts”, etc.) or indigenous (used by native groups before commercial salt was available). The highest levels of all trace elements analyzed were in the indigenous salts. Iron was present in all samples and in greatest quantity (up to 1.1 percent) in indigenous salts of plant origin. Combined essential and nonessential trace elements were higher in indigenous than in commercial special or commercial refined salts.