Why you should replace regular salt with sendha namak (and how much to consume)

For centuries, salt has been used in our kitchens to add flavour to our meals. Not just that, salt — known to draw mourise out of foods, limiting bacterial growth — has also been used as a preservative. However, one must never forget that excessive consumption of salt is linked to a host of adverse health problems. This could be understood from a study, published in the European Heart Journal, which stated that in comparison to those who never or rarely added salt to their food, those who did regularly were at a 28 per cent higher risk of premature death.
As such, World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends limiting your consumption of salt to fewer than 5 grams per day. Apart from reducing your salt consumption, many also suggest replacing regular table salt with sendha namak or Himalayan pink salt.

What is sendha namak?
Dr Priyanka Rohatgi, Chief Clinical Dietician, Apollo Hospitals, Bangalore, explained that sendha namak “is a type of salt, formed when salt water from a sea or lake evaporates and leaves behind colourful crystals of sodium chloride”. It is also widely known as halite, saindhava lavana, or rock salt.
While it is one of the best-known types of rock salt, several other varieties ex, she said.
Limit your salt consumption to less than 5 grams per day (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
Is it healthier?
Urging everyone to add sendha namak to dishes in place of regular table salt, the dietitian noted that sendha namak has “better amounts of trace elements and electrolytes, which is beneficial in maintaining blood pressure, muscle cramps, digestive ailments, including stomach worms, heartburn, bloating, constipation, stomach pain, and vomiting”.
She added that it also helps in treating sore throat gargling using warm water. “Last but not least, rock salt can cleanse, strengthen and rejuvenate skin tissue too,” Dr Rohatgi said.
Agreed Mugdha Pradhan, a functional nutrition, and CEO and Founder, iThrive, and said that sendha namak helps maintain “skin and hair health, is good for respiratory and digestive problems, increases energy levels, improves sleeping patterns, and is rich in trace minerals.”
Explaining what makes it a better alternative to regular table salt, Pradhan added: “Since it is naturally extracted and not chemically processed, it is better than regular salt. It contains all the trace minerals our body needs. Also, it stabilises blood pressure (in low BP), soothes heartburn, removes gaseous problems, and improves appetite.”

Further, Dr Rohatgi shared a comparison chart between sendha namak and table salt.
Calcium (mg): 1.6 in sendha namak; 0.4 in regular salt
Potassium (mg): 2.8 in sendha namak; 0.9 in regular salt
Magnesium (mg): 1.06 in sendha namak; 0.0139 in regular salt
Iron (mg): 0.0369 in sendha namak; 0.0101 in regular salt
Sodium (mg): 368 in sendha namak; 381 in regular salt
How much should you consume?
As the chart mentions, Himalayan pink salt and table salt are not very different in terms of sodium content. Thus, “one must stick to 5 gms per day,” Dr Rohatgi said.
Additionally, it’s crucial to note that sendha namak, too, “can be fatal if consumed in too much quantity and can lead to hyperchloremia (high chloride levels) which can cause fatigue and muscle weakness,” according to Pradhan.
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