Salt - do we really need it?
Which of the above statements is true? Unprocessed fruits, vegetables, meat and fish provide all the sodium we need, but we are eating much more than that.
Over three-quarters of the salt we eat comes from processed foods such as breakfast cereals, soups, sauces, ready meals, fast foods, ham, sausages and biscuits.
The rest is either added during cooking or shaken liberally on the foods we eat.
Scientists have proved that what we eat during childhood and adolescence influences our eating patterns later on in life. Humans aren't born with a liking for salt. This is learned in our early years.
The reason why we should watch the amount of salt we eat is because it contains sodium. Having too much sodium increases our chances of developing high blood pressure. People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or to have a stroke which can kill them.
We need sodium in our diet
We all need some sodium from food for our bodies to work. This mineral is needed to keep the fluid balance in our bodies and to regulate blood pressure, transmit nerve impulses and to help relax the heart and other muscles in the body.
Most of us have too much
Most of us eat much more sodium than we need. On average we eat around 3.7g a day (equivalent to 9.5g of salt). The British government recommends we have less: 2.5g of sodium a day (6g of salt or about a teaspoonful).
For children, maximum daily salt targets have been set in Britain as:
0-6 months 1g
7-12 months 1g
1-6 years 2g
7-14 years 5g
Above 15 years 6g
You might not realise how much salt you are eating. For example, four tablespoons of baked beans can contain up to 2.5g; a small portion of baked pork chop rice 1.6g; a cheeseburger 1.9g; six chicken nuggets 1.7g; a slice of pizza 3.2g; a serving of steamed chicken feet with black bean sauce 1.6g; a serving of instant noodles with luncheon meat and fried egg 2g; and a packet of crisps 0.6g.
How to tell if a food is high or low in salt
Check the food label
Salt: More than 1.25g per 100g food is HIGH
Salt: Less than 0.25g per 100g food is LOW
Sodium: More than 0.5g per 100g food is HIGH
Sodium: Less than 0.1g per 100g food is LOW
Source: UK Food Standards Agency, 2003
Hidden sodium
Some food additives contain sodium such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), baking powder, brine, monosodium glutamate, some thickeners (e.g. sodium caseinate), sweeteners (e.g. sodium saccharin), preservatives (e.g. sodium nitrite), soy sauce and teriyaki sauce.
How to lower salt intake
Cut down on processed foods. You might not think some types of bread and breakfast cereals contain salt, but they do. So do processed or pre-packed foods such as bacon, sausages, ham, foods that are canned in brine, pickles, potato crisps, pizza, baked beans and salted fish
Don't add salt, soy sauce or monosodium glutamate (MSG) when you're cooking vegetables or other dishes. Try experimenting with other items such as lemon, spices, garlic, ginger, mustard, onion, pepper or herbs
Don't add salt or soy sauce when you eat at the table
Watch out for bottled cooking sauces e.g. hoisin, barbecue, yellow bean sauce, pasta sauce. These contain salt and/MSG
Choose fresh, unprocessed foods wherever possible such as fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils and wholegrain rice
