SALT
Is salt a lifesaver or a killer? The answer is both!
You need salt to stay alive, but too much and it can kill you.
WHAT IS IT?
The chemical name for salt is Sodium Chloride – and it is the
‘sodium’ that is potentially harmful.
Sodium bicarbonate, sodium sulphate and monosodium
glutamate all contain 3x more sodium than salt. Look on food
labels and you will often see these names listed. Sodium is a
monocle which partly makes up salt.
95% of our sodium comes from salt, so sodium is commonly
called salt.
It occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables and is widely used as
flavouring and as a preservative.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
A healthy body contains approximately 225grams of salt. 50% of the body’s salt is found in fluids that
bathe our cells, 10% is inside our cells and 40% is in our bones.
Sodium is vital for all sorts of metabolic processes, such as heartbeats and impulses along the nerve
pathways. It maintains correct blood volume and blood pressure.
An even balance with another substance inside our cells called potassium is vital.
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HOW MUCH DO WE NEED?
TO live healthily we need 1-2grams per day
Research suggests that currently we take in 10 grams a day!
Nutritionists and the British Medical Association would ideally
like to see us get our intake down to 5 – 6 grams a day for
adults and 4grams a day for children.
10 grams & 1 gram of salt on a dessert spoon
WHAT HAPPENS TO IT IN OUR BODY
A normal healthy person absorbs all the sodium it needs for vital bodily
functions and then gets rid of the rest by flushing it through the kidneys.
If we take in too much salt, the kidneys may not be able to cope – so
extra fluid and salt is retained. As a result of this, the body then starts
retaining even more water to maintain the correct sodium balance.
Women, just before their menstrual cycle are likely to suffer (it’s the main
reason for the scales showing a gain of weight at this time) so it is
advisable to cut down on salty foods at this time.
THE HEALTH DANGERS
A more serious reason to cut down on salt intake is that over the years,
too much salt leads to high blood pressure with the consequent risks of
heart disease, strokes and diseases of the circulation.
There is a genetic factor involved too – if there is history of high blood
pressure in the family, then cutting down on salt intake would be very
beneficial.
Stomach cancer has also been linked to high intakes of salt.
Studies have also shown reducing salt intake can improve symptoms of asthma.
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THE HEALTH DANGERS
The four groups of people most at risk of high salt intake are:
BABIES: Their kidneys are not able to regulate, so they cannot cope with a
salty diet.
CHILDREN: Young kidneys are put on overdrive and can lead to health
dangers. Ideally an intake of no more than 1.25gm for 1 – 3 year olds and
no more than 1.75gms for 4 – 6 year olds. One small packet of salted
crisps tops this daily requirement, as do foodstuffs like pasta shapes in
tomato sauce and chicken nuggets to name but two.
PEOPLE WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE: that’s between 10% - 15% (and
rising) of the population – the incidence of heart attacks and strokes is
greatly increased.
THE ELDERLY: Blood pressure tends to increase as we get older, plus osteoporosis is a factor in the
elderly.
It is also thought that a high salt intake is responsible for lack of minerals in bones, causing osteoporosis.
HOW ARE FOOD MANUFACTURERS HELPING US?
Between 1998 and 2001 bread manufacturers reduced the amount of salt by 20% - but in a lot of
brands, sadly there are still too much added.
Food manufacturers are reluctant, on the whole, to reduce salt in their products as there is a huge
commercial reason for keeping it in. For example, soft drinks, would, to most people, be unpalatable
with no salt. A lot of the salt, food and soft drink industries are not happy to reduce as it affects taste –
especially for processed, convenience type items.
LEGAL DEFINITIONS
If a product is labeled ‘Low Salt’ then no more than 30mg per 100grms of the product contains salt.
If a product is labeled ‘Salt free’ then no more than 5mg salt per 100grms of the product contains salt.
If a product is labeled ‘No Added Salt’ – none has been added to the product (but the product could be
naturally very salty, so is not necessarily salt free!
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READING THE LABELS
Labels do not always tell you how much salt is in the product! Normally labels print the sodium content
and you have to multiply the sodium content by 2.5 to get the salt content. For example, 1gm of sodium
means it contains 2.5gms of salt.
HOW MUCH SALT ARE YOU CONSUMING?
Most of us take in salt in hidden forms – most takeaway foods
are very high in salt.
Many antacids and effervescent pain killers contain salt.
Many blood pressure tablets only work with a low salt diet.
If a product, such as tinned fish is labeled as ‘in brine’ that
means salt water.
Most processed foods, sweet and savoury contain salt to make them palatable.
HOW TO CUT DOWN THE AMOUNT OF SALT IN YOUR DIET
Remove the salt cellar from the table.
Do not add ‘a pinch of salt’ to cooking water.
To wean yourself off salt, don’t shake it from the salt cellar onto
your food – shake it into your hand before sprinkling it onto your
food so you can regulate the amount you are having.
Start experimenting with alternatives – lemon, lime and herbs
make great alternatives.
Remember, there is enough salt in the foods we eat everyday
without adding extra.
Eat plenty of fruit, vegetables and lower fat dairy products, as
they contain potassium and calcium which balances salt intake.
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