
Ultra-processed foods: simple ways to reduce your intake – and risks
Julie Penfold
Concerned you’re consuming too much salt? Here’s how to know, with tips on ways to reduce salt in your diet and improve your health.
New data reveals we’re consuming too much salt – more than we should – and it could be harming our health. Nutritional analysis carried out by Action on Salt, found half of pizzas surveyed in Britain contain as much (or more) salt as we should be eating in an entire day.
Meanwhile, the latest figures show the average person in the UK is eating 8.4g (around one and a half teaspoons) of salt per day – over 2g more than the recommended maximum of 6g (around one teaspoon). And according to a YouGov survey, commissioned by Season with Sense, nine in 10 people don’t know what the maximum daily recommended intake is.
Eating too much salt can lead to raised blood pressure and increase our risk of developing chronic diseases. Research from the British Medical Journal showed increasing salt intake by just 1g (three pinches) per day is associated with a 23% higher risk of stroke and a 14% higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Other research has shown that reducing salt intake by 1g a day could save 4,000 lives a year in the UK.
New data reveals we’re consuming too much salt – more than we should – and it could be harming our health. Nutritional analysis carried out by Action on Salt, found half of pizzas surveyed in Britain contain as much (or more) salt as we should be eating in an entire day.
Meanwhile, the latest figures show the average person in the UK is eating 8.4g (around one and a half teaspoons) of salt per day – over 2g more than the recommended maximum of 6g (around one teaspoon). And according to a YouGov survey, commissioned by Season with Sense, nine in 10 people don’t know what the maximum daily recommended intake is.
Eating too much salt can lead to raised blood pressure and increase our risk of developing chronic diseases. Research from the British Medical Journal showed increasing salt intake by just 1g (three pinches) per day is associated with a 23% higher risk of stroke and a 14% higher risk of heart disease and stroke. Other research has shown that reducing salt intake by 1g a day could save 4,000 lives a year in the UK.
TV GP and public health advocate Dr Sarah Jarvis said: “When it comes to talking about what we eat and its impact on our health, sugar is regularly at the forefront of our minds. It may come as a surprise then, that it’s excess salt we really need to tackle.
“This data paints a worrying picture about the UK’s relationship with salt. The good news is the power is in our hands to change that through small, simple changes like tracking our salt intake.”
With Salt Awareness Week on May 15 – 21, it’s the ideal time to start thinking about your salt intake in order to protect your health.
What is the difference between salt and sodium?
Salt is often referred to as sodium, but they aren’t the same thing. Salt is sodium chloride – a crystal-like compound used as a food seasoning or preservative. Sodium is a chemical element that makes up salt. 6g of salt is equivalent to 2.4g of sodium – so keep that in mind if you’re reading food labels that list “sodium” content rather than salt.
But how do you know if you’re consuming too much salt? We spoke to Dr Sunni Patel – a culinary medicine expert and nutritional therapist who has a PhD in the risk factors of type 2 diabetes and heart disease – about signs to look out for.
Tracking salt intake can increase our awareness, help us to curb our high consumption and contribute to healthy eating, which can provide many benefits.
A new ‘Stick to Six’ challenge aims to champion this. The challenge, which has been created by Season with Sense (run by the salt substitute manufacturers LoSalt) and nutrition tracking app Nutracheck, encourages you to stick to the guideline of 6g of salt a day for seven days.
To help with this, you can sign up for a free one-week trial of Nutracheck and track your daily food and drink intake to determine if your salt consumption is within recommended levels. (If you don’t cancel, you will be charged after the trial at £5.99 per month or £34.99 per year)
Alternatively, you can monitor your intake by checking food labels, keeping a food diary or weighing out portion sizes. Or try using the free NHS Food Scanner app to help you choose healthier options. Download it on Apple or Android devices.
The challenge also aims to raise awareness of ‘secret’ salt in foods.
‘Hidden’ salt in foods
Many foods that we might not think of as salty can contain a lot of the white stuff. Some of the offenders include:
Patel, who is championing the ‘Stick to Six’ campaign, says: “This is an effective way to tackle high salt intake and improve the health of the nation.”
Patel adds that reducing salt intake can provide many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, improving heart health and boosting hydration.
However, he says more awareness and education about the importance of reducing salt intake, as well as government support to increase the availability of lower-sodium foods, is needed to achieve this.
Patel offers more strategies for reducing salt intake.
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Written by Gemma Harris she/her
Published: Updated:
Gemma Harris has been a journalist for over seven years and is a self-confessed health and wellbeing enthusiast, which led her to specialise in health journalism. During her career, she has worked with top editors in the industry and taken on multiple high-discipline fitness challenges for certain outlets. She is particularly passionate about nutrition; after being diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome in 2016, she discovered her fascination for gut health and founded thegutchoice.com – a dedicated space for providing a hopeful outcome for people with gut issues. Gemma’s core aim is to help others through her writing.
Previously a freelance journalist, Gemma has written about topics including combatting the spread of health misinformation on social media, how to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet with a stoma and probiotics for gut health. Her work has been published within leading health journals such as Gastrointestinal Nursing and the British Journal of Healthcare Management, as well as multimedia health and lifestyle platforms, including calmmoment.com, StomaTips, Fit&Well, LiveScience and metro.co.uk.
She is the proud owner of two adorable guinea pigs who are far too spoilt and have become her writing companions. When she is not writing, Gemma can be found making a colourful and nutritious meal in the kitchen, walking in nature, at a yoga or spin class, swimming, doing an at-home YouTube workout, snuggling up with a self-help book or meditating. These experiences help to influence and shape the content she creates. And because life is all about balance, Gemma also enjoys having cocktails with friends.
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