Best table salt for magnesium/potassium?

[Sasha]

I'm trying to find ways to supplement magnesium and potassium in my diet. I've read that normal table salt has all the minerals removed leaving only sodium chloride but that sea salt has them left in.

In the UK, the supermarkets who deliver to me are selling Cornish sea salt from Grade A accredited waters; "Atlantic" sea salt from off the coast of Portugal; Maldon sea salt from the Blackwater Estuary in Essex; Mediterranean sea salt; and Guerande sea salt from the coast of Brittany, France.

Anything I should know before I pick one at random? :Retro smile:

 

[aprilk1869]

I think all sea salt is mainly sodium chloride with a small amount of potassium and trace minerals. Lo Salt on the other hand is 66% potassium and 33% sodium.

 

[Sasha]

I think all sea salt is mainly sodium chloride with a small amount of potassium and trace minerals. Lo Salt on the other hand is 66% potassium and 33% sodium.

Actually, that's a good point - there's a ton of potassium (though no magnesium) in Lo Salt - a few pinches of that and I'd be getting a hefty proportion of the RDA for potassium. I suppose that there is probably enough sodium chloride in the few prepared foods that I eat to keep my blood pressure up (maybe!).

 

[ahimsa]

There should be some tables online for different minerals and which foods are the best sources. I have a cookbook with nutrition tables like this for a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

A quick search found these tables online (I can't vouch for their reliability):

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium

http://www.drugs.com/cg/potassium-content-of-foods-list.html

FYI, I take a prescription for time-released potassium and it has helped me a lot more than any over the counter potassium supplements. But it sounds like you would prefer to get potassium from dietary sources, right?

Anyway, I hope this helps!

 

[Sasha]

Thanks, ahimsa - I've been looking at the USDA tables as well for mineral contents of foods and will be trying mainly to adjust my diet but I'm happy to take supplements if I can tolerate them. I've found that both Mg and K tablets upset my stomach but I haven't tried timed-release potassium (I didn't know it existed!) - it's very helpful to hear about that.

 

[ahimsa]

Thanks, ahimsa - I've been looking at the USDA tables as well for mineral contents of foods and will be trying mainly to adjust my diet but I'm happy to take supplements if I can tolerate them. I've found that both Mg and K tablets upset my stomach but I haven't tried timed-release potassium (I didn't know it existed!) - it's very helpful to hear about that.

I take some generic version of Klor-Con ( http://www.rxlist.com/klor-con-drug.htm ). As I said, it has worked well for me but it's a prescription drug so you'd need a doctor's okay (hope you have a supportive doctor!). I'm not sure if there are any over-the-counter versions of time released potassium.