Salt: Understanding Sodium and Daily Limits
Salt contains sodium, an essential nutrient used by the body to maintain blood pressure and regulate the nerves and muscles.
Sodium attracts and holds water in the blood. Consuming too much salt can increase the volume of water in the blood, leading to high blood pressure. If untreated, high blood pressure can increase the risk of heart disease or stroke.
Salt is used during preparation, cooking and manufacturing as a preservative and flavour enhancer. Around three-quarters of daily salt intake can already come from everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals.
Foods especially high in salt include salt-cured meats such as bacon, ham, salami and gammon; smoked meat and fish; gravy granules, stock cubes and yeast extract; savoury snacks; salted and roasted nuts; cheese; soy sauce; and ready meals.
Eating these foods too often can make it easy to exceed the daily limit. Lower-salt versions or home-cooked alternatives can be healthier options.
Three-quarters of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy. Checking labels and choosing foods lower in salt is one of the best ways to cut down.
Food labels should show salt per 100 grams. High salt is more than 1.5 grams per 100 grams, or 0.6 grams of sodium. Low salt is 0.3 grams or less per 100 grams, or 0.1 grams of sodium.
The government recommends a maximum of 6 grams of salt a day for adults and children aged 11 years and older. Children aged 7 to 10 years should have no more than 5 grams, children aged 4 to 6 years no more than 3 grams, and children aged 1 to 3 years no more than 2 grams.
Babies under one year old should have less than 1 gram of salt a day.
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