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The use of pink salt is widespread throughout India. But is it really a healthier alternative to our usual white salt?
Amid the trend of people replacing table salt with pink salt, iodine deficiency has suddenly re-emerged as a threat. Yo
India is an increasingly fit and health-conscious country, where people are even reviewing their usual table salt and preferring the supposedly healthier and more nutritious pink salt. However, according to Bengaluru fitness coach Ralston D'Souza, this is a widespread misconception.
D'Souza spoke about the current trend of choosing pink salt for its mineral content, saying it is a perception that can be costly in the long run. In a video shared on Instagram, the fitness trainer highlighted why replacing iodized salt with non-iodized varieties could be a decision that people regret in the near future.
Dense with mineral, or not?
While an increasing percentage of Indians choose pink salt for its perceived mineral content, fitness trainer D'Souza said the change is a sign of wrong. He emphasized that the trace elements found in a tablespoon of pink salt may be present in almost negligible quantities. For a high consumption of the desired minerals from pink salt, it would have to be taken in very large quantities, which is obviously not practical or healthy.
D'Souza believes people are falling for a marketing gimmick far removed from the scientific and nutritional reality of pink salt. The fitness trainer said that when people replace their usual white salt with its supposedly healthier pink variant, they not only pay more for their daily salt intake, but also risk missing out on an essential component: iodine.
Lack of iodine
“Common table salt is iodized to prevent iodine deficiency disorders,” D'Souza said. “In the 1960s, iodine deficiency was a serious public health problem. It caused thyroid dysfunction, pregnancy complications, and impaired brain development in children.”
Amid the trend of people replacing table salt with pink salt, iodine deficiency has suddenly re-emerged as a threat. In India, the mandate that led to the iodization of common salt in the past acted as a shield for citizens against various health problems. Among several conditions, iodine deficiency is linked to the thyroid, where sufficiency of the essential component helps people reduce the risk of thyroid disorders.
Excessive consumption of table salt is never good for your health. But if consumed in a balanced quantity, it remains an affordable, easily accessible and nutritionally reliable alternative to its pink version.
February 25, 2026, 11:37 IST
