Too Much Salt in Government Recommendation
by Elizabeth
(Healthy Eating Made Easy)
At 6g daily for adults, the UK government has set its recommendation for salt intake too high, according to BBC News yesterday (25/11/09).
The figure was chosen because the industry felt it was achievable, not because it was the healthiest target.
The average UK adult consumes 8.6g salt per day, well above the World Health Organisation's recommendation of 5g per day - a target which could save four million lives a year, worldwide.
Too much salt raises the risk of heart disease and stroke, and most of the salt we eat comes from processed foods.
Although the food industry has tried to lower salt, it needs to do much more, according to Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash), who believe that a level of 4g per day, less than half what we are currently eating, is possible - but only if the food industry agrees to changes.
Guard yourself against excessive salt intake by learning to recognise salt's numerous guises in fast foods - see our food additive list.
