Salt

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Salt and sodium

When we use salt to season our food, we use table salt. The other name for table salt is sodium chloride. When you see sodium on food labels, it’s another way of talking about the amount of salt in your food.

Some salt in your diet is good because it helps your kidneys to control the amount of water in your blood. If you eat too much salt, water is pulled back into your bloodstream. The more water in your blood vessels, the higher your blood pressure gets.

High blood pressure can put you at risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases, like:

• heart attack
• heart failure
• stroke
• vascular dementia.

Salt limits

Adults should eat less than 6 grams of salt per day. This is the daily intake of salt recommended by the UK Government. 6 grams of salt is about one level teaspoon.

Some food labels call salt, sodium instead. Salt and sodium are measured differently. Adults should have less than 2.5 grams of sodium per day.

The amount of salt (or sodium) includes the amount already added to ready-made and processed foods, as well as the salt you add when you cook and eat.

How to keep track of salt

The labels on your food will usually have a nutritional information section. This section will show you how much of each nutrient is in the food, like the amount of salt. To see how much salt is in the packaged food, you can look at the ‘amount per serving’ or ‘amount per 100g’.

Some food labels have a traffic light system to help you see if the food has a low (green), medium (amber) or high (red) amount of salt in it. If you choose foods with green levels of salt, it will help reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Foods that are high in salt

Most of the salt we eat is already in our food before we buy it. As a result, we often end up eating more salt than we realise.

It’s well-known that microwave meals, takeaways and snacks like crisps are high in salt. You might be surprised to know a lot of other foods are high in salt, like:

• cheese
• breakfast cereals
• canned soups
• bread, pastries and pizzas
• biscuits, cookies and cakes
• processed meats like sausages, bacon and ham
• sauces like gravy, ketchup and soy sauce.

The amount of salt will be different between different brands and varieties. Check your food labels before you buy to help you choose healthier options.

It might feel tricky to have tasty food and watch how much salt you’re having. There are other ways to add flavour to food other than salt. Many people add flavour to their food by using:

• chilli
• lemon juice
• black pepper
• fresh and dried herbs and spices.

Reducing how much salt you eat can make you feel less thirsty, less dehydrated and have less headaches.

Foods that are low in salt

Even if the food we eat does not taste salty, it might still be high in salt. There are many foods that are naturally low in salt and sodium. You can reduce the number of salty foods you eat by swapping to less salty options. Trying new recipes and seasonings can also help you make your meals exciting and satisfying.

Try these alternatives:

• Snacks. Sliced apple, celery sticks, rice cakes, unsalted nuts.
• Breakfast. Fresh fruit, yoghurt, cooked eggs, porridge oats.
• Lunch. Swap processed sandwich fillers for chicken, tuna, lettuce, tomato.
• Home-made. Soups, pasta sauces, pizzas.

Types of salt

All types of salt effect your blood pressure in the same way table salt does. They include:

• black salt
• celtic salt
• crystal salt
• pink salt
• rock salt
• salt flakes.

These types of salts are usually less refined (less processed) than table salt, but they contain a similar amount of sodium to table salt. They can still put you at risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.

Some supermarkets sell low salt alternatives like LoSalt and Saxa So-Low, or their own brands. These salt substitutes have less sodium than normal salt. They can help you reduce your sodium intake, but they will not help you kick the habit of eating salty or ready-made foods.

The low salt alternative brands usually contain potassium. High levels of potassium are not recommended for people with health conditions. If you have a health condition, you may want to talk to your doctor before using a salt substitute.

Top tips for reducing your salt intake

There are lots of things you can do to make sure your food is still exciting and easy to prepare. Try one of these top tips today:

• Check the amount of salt on your food labels.
• Add less salt over time when you’re cooking.
• Buy the reduced salt and sugar options of your favourite sauces.
• Flavour your food with pepper, herbs, garlic, spices or lemon juice.
• Swap ready-made or processed snacks, sandwich fillers and meals for healthier, home-made options.

Heart Helpline and other support

• Speak to our cardiac nurses by phone, callback, email or online chat on Heart Helpline (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
• Talk to our customer care advisors, find your local BHF shop and for any comments, compliments and complaints you may have.
• Speak to others with heart conditions by joining a support group or online community.
• Sign up to our Heart Matters magazine and get online information packed with health and lifestyle tips.