How Much Salt is Too Much

Why would I need to reduce my salt intake?
Salt is found in almost every food we eat, but the amount varies greatly. Most of the salt we eat, about 75%, comes from processed foods. Did you know that high intakes of salt can increase your blood pressure and your risk of cardiovascular disease including heart, stroke and blood vessel disease? Most people with high blood pressure don't know it.

Adding salt to cooking and eating salty snack foods and take-away meals encourage you to develop a taste for salty foods, so the healthy meals you cook at home may seem tasteless in comparison. This is especially important for children whose tastes are being trained for life.
The average Australian consumes about 9 grams of salt every day. We recommend you lower your salt consumption to less than 6 grams a day to reduce blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease for you and your family.
How much is too much?
The goal for an average adult is to consume less than 2300 mg of sodium (6 grams of salt) a day. Salt is listed on nutrition panels as sodium. Foods with less than 120 mg per 100 grams are low in salt, while foods with more than 500 mg are high in salt.

Signs You're Eating too Much Salt
Processed and Fast Foods
If a large part of your diet consists of processed and fast foods, you are almost certainly taking in too much salt. Salt is added to these foods to increase their storage life and to make them taste better. Try to reduce the amounts of processed foods in your diet, replacing them with fresh, whole foods, or if necessary, with processed foods that have been labeled as low salt or low sodium.

Bloating
Salt can cause water retention as the body tries to dilute the salt with large amounts of water. This can cause bloating which is uncomfortable and may be unattractive. The best way to reduce this bloating is to drink more water, which will help to flush the salt out of your system.
Excessive Thirst
Generally people who are consuming too much salt tend to also be more thirsty, although this could also be caused by environmental or lifestyle factors, or by other underlying conditions like diabetes. If you are drinking a lot more water lately and didn't make a decision to do so, it might be worth going to get a blood test.

What can I do?
You can easily get your daily requirements from the natural salts found in fresh foods. There is no need to add salt when cooking at home or at the dinner table.  Salt is often used in packaged foods as a flavor enhancer or preservative and high levels of salt are often added to foods such as hot chips, crisps, salted nuts, packet soups and sauces, baked beans, canned vegetables, pies, sausage rolls, sausages, chorizo, pizzas and ready meals.
 Dr Tango is Consultant Physician with facts and Figures Email- caremed001@gmail.com Blackberry Pin - 74282d21.Follow us on twitter @Care_Med