. . to write about salt and cardiovascular health with confidence - particularly since recent studies indicate it's a lot more complex than was previously thought, and much more variable by individual.

I will probably do that study in conjunction with a page on types of salt in the fairly near future. I have been gathering a few samples for that page.

In my collection are some cheap cardboard boxes of salt from Russia (the one color printing ink (green) isn't even waterproof). I tell people it was mined in Siberia by exiled intellectuals using primitive hand tools (I'm pretty sure it is from a salt mine, not the ocean, but I'm not sure if intellectuals are actually involved).

One thing I do know about salt though, is that all salt isn't the same, as some food commentators maintain. It's mostly sodium chloride, but for natural salt pickling it is very important to use sea salt and only sea salt. Some of the minor salts in seawater are very important to the process and these are refined out of table salt.

Sea salt costs a lot in gourmet packaging, but can be had cheaply in bulk plastic bags from Korean markets - and if there's anyone who knows something about natural salt pickling it's the Koreans.

As for Iodine in salt, I need to do more study on that point too. Many shun it, but it turns out Iodine is very important for aspects of health other than the well known thyroid problems - and it is in critically short supply in many regions.

I've done a very quick taste comparison between iodized and non-iodized and didn't notice any difference, but I'll be doing that more carefully soon. I'm wondering if some people's claims about the taste of iodine in salt are psychosomatic or real.