Generally we consume ten to fifty times as much salt as primitive man did. Salt is found in many different types of food, sometimes in such unlikely ones as toffees and puddings and tomato juice. It is often used as flavour-enhancer or a preservative.

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Too much salt in your diet could cause or aggravate many different medical conditions, such as:

• High blood pressure
• Kidney disease
• Heart failure
• Liver disease
• Fluid retention
• Certain types of asthma

Unfortunately, merely not adding salt to your food will not solve the problem, as almost two-thirds of our salt intake now comes from processed and pre-prepared foods.

How to reduce your salt intake

• Add herbs and spices rather than salt while cooking foods. These will give flavour.
• Do not add salt to your food at the table. Often one is unaware of how much you actually add to the food. At first, foods will taste bland or unexciting, but within 4-6 weeks, your tastebuds will adjust.
• Avoid foods high in salt, such as chips in packets, certain savoury biscuits and all food in brine, which is basically salted water.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables contain very little salt and lots of potassium – the mineral counterpart of salt.

The following foods have high salt content and should be avoided:

• Salted peanuts and chips, all tinned vegetables (unless indicated as being salt-free)
• Almost all preserved meats, from bacon and sausages, frankfurters, tinned meats, pies and patés.
• Tinned seafood (unless stated to be salt-free)
• Cheese and salted butter
• Bread and grain products. Cakes, puddings and deserts, cornflake and muesli, unless stated to be salt-free.
• Sauces and pickles, unless stated to be salt-free.
• Yeast extracts, such as Oxo and Marmite, and meat flavouring cubes.
• Some sugar products, unless sodium or salt is not stated as an ingredient.

Information from Every Woman’s Health Guide by Maryon Stewart and Dr Alan Stewart

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