Summary
Read the full fact sheet- Salt is a chemical compound (electrolyte) made up of sodium and chloride. It is commonly used to preserve and flavour foods and is the main source of sodium in our diet.
- Sodium is needed by the body to help regulate fluid levels, but there is generally more than enough dietary sodium in a natural diet without any added salt.
- The average Australian eats almost double the sodium (salt) that is required for good health.
- A diet high in sodium has been linked to high blood pressure and other health conditions.
- Around 75% of the salt in our diet comes from processed foods., which means we may be unaware of the amount of salt we are having.
- Our taste buds can adapt to lower salt levels in a matter of weeks.
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
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Salt has a fascinating history, used at times as currency or as a reason to start a war. A natural component of seawater, we mine it today from areas where water evaporated millions of years ago. Dietary salt provides your body with sodium, which is essential for life. Although consuming sodium in appropriate amounts is necessary, when you take in too much, it can cause a serious imbalance in your body, raising your risk for several potentially serious medical problems.
Sodium
Chemically, ordinary table salt is sodium chloride, a crystalline compound that contains 40 percent sodium. Sodium is also a natural component of many common foods. Your nerves use it to produce impulses and your muscles need it to contract. Since sodium attracts water, your body also uses it to regulate the amount of fluid in your blood, organs and tissues. When your body contains too much sodium, your kidneys remove it by producing more urine. However, if you consume large amounts of sodium, you kidneys might not be able to handle all the excess, allowing too much sodium to remain in your body. This can cause several problems that raise your risk of serious disorders.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is an indicator of how much pressure your blood puts on the walls of your arteries each time your heart beats, as well as between beats when your heart relaxes. The amount of blood in your circulation, called blood volume, is a major factor determining your blood pressure. When you eat more salt than your kidneys can handle, the extra salt retains water and your blood volume increases, raising your blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause serious health problems, especially because it produces no early symptoms. So, you might have the condition for some time and not know it.
Heart Disease and Stroke
When you consume too much sodium and your blood pressure is too high, over time the extra pressure can make your vessels less elastic and more susceptible to buildup of fatty deposits called plaque. This can cause atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. In atherosclerosis, vessels narrow and their walls thicken, making your heart work harder and eventually raising your risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, higher intake of salt can cause a 23 percent increase in the incidence stroke and a 14 percent increase in heart disease.
Other Problems
According to Harvard experts, consuming too much salt can also make you prone to osteoporosis, or thinning of the bones, since high salt tends to leach calcium out of your bones; your kidneys excrete the excess in urine. A high intake of sodium could also raise your risk of developing stomach cancer, according to the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
Lowering Salt Intake
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends healthy adults consume no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium daily, equivalent to 6 grams of table salt or about 1 teaspoon. If you have or are at risk for high blood pressure, consume only 1,500 milligrams daily. Use less salt at the table or substitute salt-free herbs and spices, and check condiment labels for salt content. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables over processed types and rinse salted canned vegetables before serving. Choose low-salt products and watch for "hidden" salt on product labels, avoiding baking soda, sodium nitrate, sodium citrate and sodium benzoate.