Common salt is mostly made up of sodium chloride. Sodium is necessary for the correct functioning of nerves and muscles, for the absorption of nutrients from the small intestine and for maintaining fluid balance.
How much do we need?
The minimum daily requirement is 0.6g of sodium; the maximum recommended intake is 6g sodium per day. As a rough guide, one teaspoon of salt weighs approximately 5g. In addition to sodium from salt, many people absorb extra sodium through eating and drinking products that contain monosodium glutamate and sodium bicarbonate (bicarbonate of soda). It is estimated that men in the UK have an average intake of more than 10g a day.
When is too much salt a problem?
Medical evidence suggests that large amounts of salt may be harmful to certain groups of people, such as those with high blood pressure, kidney disease and heart failure. However, opinion is divided as to whether healthy people should also be advised to reduce their salt intake. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for precipitating strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure. In people who already have high blood pressure, it is essential that their maximum daily intake of salt be reduced to less than 6g daily.
How to reduce your intake of salt
The first thing to do is cut out salt in cooking and stop adding salt at the table. If you reduce it gradually, the palate soon adapts. For those who find food without salt unacceptable, buy a salt substitute at the supermarket. These contain a high proportion of potassium chloride and much lower amounts of sodium chloride - about 60% less sodium than salt does. However, since most of our salt intake comes from processed foods, avoid such products and only use fresh ingredients to cook with.
Ten high-sodium foods that taste salty:
Bacon, Cured meats , Pickles and sauces, Tomato ketchup, Salted nuts, Crisps, Anchovies, Salted butter and margarine, Prawns, Stock cubes
Eight high-sodium foods that don't taste particularly salty:
Sausages, Beefburgers, Fish fingers, Savoury biscuits and crackers, Smoked fish, Dried packet soups and canned soups, Baked beans, Canned vegetables
Six high-sodium foods that don't taste salty at all:
Breakfast cereals, Bread, Very low-fat spreads, Canned meats, Hard cheeses, Milk
An average portion of white bread contains more sodium than a 30g packet of crisps, and the sodium content of an average serving of breakfast-cereal flakes is only slightly less.
Can product labelling help?
Better food labelling during recent years has helped to identify 'hidden' sodium in foods. Many labels now clearly state the sodium content. Many manufacturers of processed and canned foods have taken measures to reduce the sodium content, and some have produced reduced-salt alternatives. Many supermarkets offer 'healthy-eating' brands that contain less sodium.
Definitions:
Low salt - No more than 40mg of salt (16mg of sodium) per 100g of food, where a normal serving is less than 100g. Where a normal serving is more than 100g, the salt content of the serving must be less than 40mg. Salt-free - No more than 5mg of salt (2mg of sodium) in 100g of food. No added salt - No sodium or salt added to the food or any of its ingredients.
Latest findings
Recent research (Feb '04) by Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) has found high levels of salt in a number of popular soup brands including:
New Covent Garden's Our Best Chicken Soup - 6.25g per 250g Campbell's Condensed Oxtail Soup - 3.1g per 250g Campbell's Scotch Broth - 2.5g per 250g Campbell's Vegetable Soup - 2.5g per 250g Campbell's Asparagus Soup - 2.5g per 250g Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup - 2.5g per 250g Campbell's Red Pepper Soup - 2.5g per 250g Marks & Spencer Tomato & Lentil Soup - 3.1g per 250g Marks & Spencer Vegetable Soup - 3.1g per 250g
The Public Health Minister, Melanie Johnson, has given processed-food producers until Friday 27 February to prove that they are taking steps to reduce salt content.
