What exactly is green salt? A guide to low sodium table salt alternatives for those looking to cut back on sodium. Salt is abundant in processed foods and restaurant meals, and cooking without salt at home presents challenges for family members who enjoy the flavour. Fortunately, green salt could be a quick fix.
This table salt substitute is causing quite a stir on the internet. Maybe because it's so out of the ordinary. The powdery, green product comes in a brown paper bag (rather than a traditional grinder or salt tub) and contains additional nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, chlorophyll (hence the green colour), vitamin B3, iodine, a little protein, and fibre. Is it, however, worthwhile to invest in?
What exactly is green salt?
Green salt is made from dehydrated Salicornia, also known as sea asparagus. Pickleweed, glasswort, sea beans, crow's foot greens, hamcho, and samphire are some of the other names for sea asparagus, which is a fleshy, rod-like plant that grows in salty wetlands, marshes, and seashores. It has long been used as a flavour enhancer in Korean foods and in traditional medicine (as a treatment for poor digestion and diabetes).
Sea asparagus is dehydrated and ground into a fine powder to make green salt. The nutrients contained within it are obtained directly from the plant; nothing else is added to the product.
What are the advantages of eating sea asparagus?
According to some studies, sea asparagus (Salicornia) has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food discovered that Salicornia extract had antioxidant properties in lab experiments. According to a 2022 study published in Antioxidants, the antioxidants in Salicornia were effective at reducing inflammation in specific white blood cells.
According to additional research, sea asparagus may have anti-diabetic properties. According to a 2008 study published in the Korean Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, a specific nutrient in the plant (known as SP1) was linked to improved sugar and insulin regulation in diabetic rats.
Another 2015 study published in Food and Function investigated the effects of Salicornia salt on rat blood pressure. The researchers fed one group of rats regular table salt and the other Salicornia salt (in the same amount). They discovered that while table salt raised blood pressure, Salicornia salt did not. In fact, the Salicornia salt protected the kidneys and livers of rodents.
Of course, the findings of animal studies must be interpreted with caution (no pun intended!). Because the experiments were conducted on rats rather than humans, more research is needed to back up these findings. Still, the research on sea asparagus is promising so far.
How does green salt taste?
"It's salty but not ultra salty," says YouTuber Chris Hamilton, who reviewed the product from TryGreenSalt.com earlier this year.
Hamilton admits that it doesn't entirely taste like salt. "It's got a little bit — a slight hint of a seafood taste because it's apparently from a salt marsh close to the sea," he explains. "However, it's not bad. To satisfy that super salt craving, you'll probably need to use a lot."
In other words, if you use two shakes of green salt instead of one shake of table salt, you can eat the same amount of sodium. This, however, comes down to diligence.
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