Q: I wanted to know whether rock salt (saindha namak) is a better substitute for normal salt for people with hypertension? Does it contain iodine, if not, then how will iodine intake be taken care of if one consumes rock salt regularly?

A:It might be a good idea to use rock salt (saindha namak) and black salt (kala namak) instead of table salt. For people with a history of high blood pressure, it is strongly advised to use potassium salt instead of the normal salt (sodium chloride). Please speak to your doctor first before you start on any potassium salts. To meet your iodine requirements, do not exclusively have only rock salt but introduce a small quantity of table salt in a few meals.