Assault on salt

Confused by recent headlines claiming salt is actually good for us? You're not alone. But while it might sound like good news, health experts have been quick to dismiss the findings of two recent studies that say eating less salt doesn't make us any healthier. Instead, experts from organisations including the British Heart Foundation and the Blood Pressure Association say the studies were flawed, and maintain that too much of the white stuff is a major health hazard.

It's sodium – a key component of salt – that does the damage, by increasing our blood pressure, which in turn is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Around eight million women in the UK have high blood pressure – that's about one in three of us – and, as a consequence, are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

The health repercussions don't stop there. High-salt diets are linked to many other health problems, including osteoporosis, stomach cancer, kidney disease, kidney stones and obesity. Plus it's thought to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, Alzheimer's and diabetes. The trouble is, it's no longer the salt pot that's the main culprit. Today, around three quarters of our salt comes from the pre-prepared foods. And it's not just unhealthier choices, such as sausages, crisps, bacon, takeaways and sauces that contain lots of salt. It's often lurking in many of the foods we choose as a healthier option, too. So to help you identify where salt might be hiding, we've looked at the salt content of foods you might not expect to contain too much – and compared them to a standard packet of Walkers Ready Salted crisps containing 0.5g salt. Prepare to be shocked…

Hidden salt in popular food buys v a packet of ready salted crisps

Pret A Manger Sweet Chilli Crayfish & Mango Bloomer: 3.2g salt = 6 and a half bags of crisps
Pret A Manger Maki & Nigiri Sushi: 4.5g = 9 bags of crisps
Caffe Nero Luxury Fruit Scone: 1.2g = 3 bags of crisps
Dr Oetker Ristorante Pizza Funghi: 4.6g = 9 bags of crisps
40g bowl of Kellogg’s All-Bran: 0.5g = 1 bag of crisps
50g smoked salmon: 1.75g = 3 and a half bags of crisps
1tbsp soy sauce: 2.1g = 4 bags of crisps
2 slices granary bread: 1g = 2 bags of crisps
1 small (200g) can baked beans: 1.5g = 3 bags of crisps

A pinch of salt

Here's the maximum amount of salt you should consume each day:
Age one to three: 2g (0.8g sodium)
Age four to six: 3g (1.2g sodium)
Age seven to ten: 5g (2g sodium)
Age 11 years upwards and adults: 6g (2.4g sodium)
If packaging only gives figures for sodium, multiply by 2.5 to calculate the amount of salt. As a rule, food with less than 0.3g salt per 100g is low in salt, food with more than 1.5g salt per 100g is high in salt.

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