The leading salt substitutes are non-sodium table salts, which have their tastes as a result of compounds other than sodium chloride. Non-sodium salts reduce daily sodium intake and reduce the health effects of this element.
According to current
WHO guidelines,[2][3] adults should consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day (i.e. about 5 grams of traditional table salt), and at least 3,510 mg of potassium per day.[4] In Europe, adults and children consume about twice as much sodium as recommended by experts.[5]
Research
In 2021, a large randomised controlled trial of 20,995 older people in China found that use of a potassium salt substitute in home cooking over a five-year period reduced the risk of stroke by 14%, major cardiovascular events by 13% and all-cause mortality by 12% compared to use of regular table salt.[6]
The study found no significant difference in
hyperkalaemia between the two groups, though people with serious kidney disease were excluded from the trial. The salt substitute used was 25% potassium chloride and 75% sodium chloride.
A 2022 Cochrane review of 26 trials involving salt substitutes found their use probably slightly reduces blood pressure, non-fatal stroke, non-fatal acute coronary syndrome and heart disease death in adults compared to use of regular table salt.[7] A separate systematic review and meta-analysis published in the same year of 21 trials involving salt substitutes found protective effects of salt substitute on total mortality, cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular events.[8]
Examples
Potassium
Potassium closely resembles the saltiness of sodium. In practice,
potassium chloride (also known as potassium salt) is the most commonly used salt substitute. Its
toxicity for a healthy person is approximately equal to that of table salt (the
LD50 is about 2.5 g/kg, or approximately 190 g for a person weighing 75 kg).
Potassium lactate may also be used to reduce sodium levels in food products and is commonly used in meat and poultry products.[9] The
recommended daily allowance of potassium is higher than that for sodium,[10] yet a typical person consumes less potassium than sodium in a given day.[11] Potassium chloride has a
bitteraftertaste when used in higher proportions, which consumers may find unpalatable. As a result, some formulations only replace half the sodium chloride with potassium.[12]
Sodium malate is salty in taste and may be blended with other salt substitutes. Although it contains sodium, the
mass fraction is lower.[14]
Monosodium glutamate is often used as a substitute to salt in processed and restaurant food, due to its salty taste and low sodium content compared to table salt, and can also be used effectively in home cooking.[15][16]
Seaweed granules are also marketed as alternatives to salt.[17]
Dehydrated, pulverized
Salicornia (glasswort, marsh samphire) is sold under the brand name "Green Salt" as a salt substitute claimed to be as salty in taste as table salt, but with less sodium.[18][19]
Historical
Historically (late 20th century), many substances containing
magnesium and
potassium have been tried as salt substitutes. They include:[20][21]
Even further back in the early 20th century,
lithium chloride was used as a salt substitute for those with hypertension. However,
overdosing was common and deaths have occurred, leading to its prohibition in 1949.[22]
Salt substitutes can also be further enriched with the essential nutrients. A salt substitute can, analogously to the problem of
iodine deficiency, help to eliminate the "hidden hunger" i.e. insufficient supply of necessary micronutrients such as iron.[27][28] Such substances are promoted by
UNICEF as a "super-salt".[29]
^Drake, S. L.; Drake, M. A. (2011). "Comparison of Salty Taste and Time Intensity of Sea and Land Salts from Around the World". Journal of Sensory Studies. 26 (1): 25–34.
doi:
10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00317.x.
ISSN1745-459X.
^Florence Fabricant, "To Sprinkle: Add Some Green To Your Salt Lineup", New York Times, August 11, 2021, p. D3; online version "Add Green to Your Salt Lineup"
August 9, 2021
^Marmol, F. (2008). "Lithium: Bipolar disorder and neurodegenerative diseases Possible cellular mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of lithium". Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 32 (8): 1761–1771.
doi:
10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.08.012.
PMID18789369.
S2CID25861243.
^Huynh, Hue Linh; Danhi, Robert; Yan, See Wan (27 November 2015). "Using Fish Sauce as a Substitute for Sodium Chloride in Culinary Sauces and Effects on Sensory Properties". Journal of Food Science. 81 (1): S150–S155.
doi:
10.1111/1750-3841.13171.
PMID26613570.