Salt - tips for reducing your intake

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, according to research. And people with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure.

Watch our video Salt, to find out why there is too much in the nation's diet.

While there has been evidence that cutting salt intake lowers blood pressure, new research published in the British Medical Journal, provides some of the strongest evidence to date that lowering the amount of salt in the diet could also reduce the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.

When most people think of salt, they think of shaking it on their food, or adding a pinch to cooking. But the salt we add ourselves makes up just a quarter of the salt we eat. Three-quarters of the salt we consume is already in the food we buy.

According to many health experts, you don't have to stop using salt or eating high-salt foods altogether, but it's a good idea to cut down or eat high-salt foods less often.

So, here are some facts and tips about salt - and how to reduce your intake - from the Food Standards Agency and the Blood Pressure Association.

What's the difference between salt and sodium?

Sodium chloride is commonly known as salt, and is found naturally at low levels in all foods, but high levels are added to many processed foods. Sodium is usually listed in the nutritional information on food labels. Salt = sodium x 2.5.

If you know how much sodium is in a food, you can work out roughly the amount of salt it contains by multiplying the sodium by 2.5. So if a portion of food contains 1.2g of sodium then it contains about 3g of salt.

How much do I need?

It's very difficult to eat too little salt. On average we're eating 9g of salt a day, but we should be having no more than 6g of salt, which is about a teaspoon.

What does it do?

Sodium and chloride both help to keep the level of fluids in the body balanced. Chloride helps the body digest the food we eat because it's an essential component of the juices in the stomach and intestines.

How can I tell if a food is high in salt?

Look at the figure for salt per 100g. High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium) Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium).

Should I use salt alternatives?

Reduced-sodium alternatives contain less sodium than standard salt although they are not sodium-free, so you will still be adding sodium to your food. But if you find that you cannot give up salt, it is better to use a salt alternative. Salt substitutes are not suitable for some people, so always check the label.

Is expensive salt better than table salt?

It's the sodium in salt that can raise your blood pressure. It doesn't matter how expensive salt is, where it is from, or whether it comes in grains, crystals or flakes - it still contains sodium.

Some practical tips for cutting down on salt:

• Check food labels for the salt or sodium content. For example, choose breakfast cereals with no added salt or ready meals that are lower in salt.
• Compare the amount of salt in different types of breads and choose the lower one.
• Buy reduced-salt bacon.
• Choose tinned vegetables and pulses with no added salt where possible.
• Be sparing with sauces, such as soy sauce, brown sauce and mayonnaise. Try adding some slices of tomato instead of ketchup.
• Eat fewer salty snacks, such as crisps and salted nuts, and heavily salted foods such as cheese, pickles, olives and smoked fish.
• Add less salt to cooking - use herbs and spices for flavour instead.
• Taste your food first and don't automatically add extra salt.