Is the salt we eat safe from bad metals?
Toxic metal contamination in edible salts and its attributed human health risks: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Refined salt has lower heavy metal levels than rock salt
Many consumers assume unprocessed or 'natural' foods are safer, but here, processing reduces toxic metal content.
Practical Takeaways
Consider choosing refined or processed salt if minimizing heavy metal exposure is a priority.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Refined salt has lower heavy metal levels than rock salt
Many consumers assume unprocessed or 'natural' foods are safer, but here, processing reduces toxic metal content.
Practical Takeaways
Consider choosing refined or processed salt if minimizing heavy metal exposure is a priority.
Publication
Journal
Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Year
2025
Authors
Salman Mohammadi, Ali Kosari, H. Eslami, Ezatollah Fazeli Moghadam, Ali Ghaffarian‐Bahraman
Related Content
Claims (4)
In Iran, the salt people eat has some lead in it—on average, about 2.98 micrograms per gram. Rock salt tends to have more lead than sea or refined salt, so the kind of salt you eat might affect how much of this harmful metal you're exposed to.
In Iran, the average amount of cadmium — a harmful metal — found in table salt is 0.71 micrograms per gram, and it's higher in rock salt than in sea or regular table salt. That means natural or unrefined salts might carry more of this toxin.
Eating salt might expose people in Iran to tiny amounts of harmful metals, but a new estimate says the risk to health is very low for men, women, and kids.
Some table salts you can buy might have tiny amounts of harmful metals like lead or arsenic because of where the salt comes from in the ground.