How much salt should I have per day? Should it be limited? How can I reduce my salt intake? And how much salt should children have in their diet?

Government's advice on adult's salt consumption is no more than 6g per day and 3g per day for children. Here are some strategies for reducing salt intake: Take salt shaker off the dining table,cook without salt, avoid high sidium food and choose low sodium alternative.

Hello, I also heard that we should reduce our salt intake but any scientific reason on why is that?

As far as I know salt increases blood pressure. Increasing your blood pressure above the 'normal' levels is not healthy.

If you want to lead a healthy life, avoid salt altogether. But, that is easier said than done. Alternatively, restrict your intake of salt. It will do a world of good to your health. Take care.

alex, I wonder if you could shed some light on why this is 'healthy'? Aayus response makes sense, I wonder if you have something more to say about it?

I researched the topic a little bit and I found the following: 'salt depletes adrenal glands and causes emotional instability'. I hope you find something more useful.

Which one is healthier? Which tastes better?

Both sea salt and table salt are of the same value (nutritionally), taste is down to personal preference.

Most of the foods I eat have sodium. I know it's bad for you. But is there a good kind of sodium?

Sodium may increase the risk for stroke beyond its affect on blood pressure, according to research reported at the 2005 American Stroke Association International Conference. Stroke risk was higher in people who ate more sodium, regardless of their blood pressure, reported researchers. Their results also found that people consuming more than 4,000 milligrams of sodium a day almost doubled their stroke risk compared to those getting 2400 milligrams or less.

It is important to read the food label to determine the sodium content of food, which can vary by several hundreds of milligrams in similar foods.Since 1995, the American Heart Association (AHA) has been trying to make heart-healthy grocery shopping easier with its heart check symbol. To qualify for the AHA Food Certification Program, a single serving of the food must, according to FDA criteria:

Contain no more than 3 grams of total fat
Contain no more than 1 gram of saturated fat
Contain no more than 20 grams of cholesterol
Contain no more than 480 milligrams of sodium
Contain at least 10% or more of one of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, or iron.

What are the pros and cons to adding salt to food?

5 tips to reduce your salt intake:

Take stock of the sources of salt in your diet, such as restaurant meals, salt-based condiments, and convenience foods. Some of these are really loaded with salt.

Read the labels when shopping. Look for lower sodium in cereals, crackers, pasta sauces, canned vegetables, or any foods with low-salt options.

If you think your meals are high in sodium, balance them by adding high-potassium foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Ask about salt added to food, especially at restaurants. Most restaurant chefs will omit salt when requested.

If you need to salt while cooking, add the salt at the end; you will need to add much less. The longer the food cooks, the more the salty flavor is muted and at the end, the final taste is on the top layer.

Salt is essential to life, but anything that is too much is always bad. Too much salt is dangerous especially for people who have kidney or heart problems or high blood pressure. But salt deficit is also bad, especially for athletes. Mostly people who have sodium deficit are the aforementioned athletes, people who urinate too much or people who have diarrhea

Americans do eat food with too much salt. IMO, you can ask your family doctor if you are at risk and find out if it really is the best time to cut down on salt intake.

ramesh - 14 August 2008 05:57 AM

I researched the topic a little bit and I found the following: 'salt depletes adrenal glands and causes emotional instability'. I hope you find something more useful.

Causes emotional instability? Really, how?

How much salt does our body need?

Recommendation is not to exceed the range of 1,500 and 2,400 milligrams (mg) a day for healthy adults. Keep in mind that the lower your sodium, the more beneficial effect on blood pressure. One teaspoon (5 milliliters) of table salt has 2,325 mg of sodium.
Talk to your doctor about the sodium limit that's best for you.

The human body needs at least 250mg to 500 mg of sodium. The maximum it could get and avoid health risk id at 1g to 3g. Salts naturally are found in many foods like meat, poultry, dairy products and vegetables.

What would be the effects if we exceed the level of salt in our body?

High blood pressure may be a result of eating too much salt. Table salt contains sodium and chloride. Most of the sodium in the meals that we eat comes from processed food.