Salt of the earth
Salt is a common food ingredient used for taste and food preservation and is a combination of sodium and chloride. The most common kind is table salt, but other popular kinds include sea salt, rock salt and flakes, which are likely to vary in the way they taste. Sodium is an essential mineral for balancing water levels in our bodies and regulating nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Too much of it can promote high blood pressure. Used wisely, however, and salt actually provides health benefits. For example, it's used for iodine fortification in many developing countries where iodine deficiency is the main cause of potentially preventable mental retardation in childhood, as well as causing goitre and hypothyroidism in people of all ages.
Salt facts
- Our word salary is derived from the Latin word for salt, salarium.
- Typical salt intakes in western countries are 9g a day – around double the ideal level recommended by the World Health Organization.
- Up to 75% of our salt intake now comes from processed foods such as bread, ready-meals, soups, breakfast cereals and snacks.
- A further 15% is added during cooking and at the table.
- Just 10% is found naturally in foods.
- One quarter of adults have high blood pressure and a third of those don't know it – high blood pressure sufferers often don't display any symptoms.
