The Dangers of Eating Too Much Salt in Your Diet

Adding salt to your meal at the table is associated with a lower life span and a higher risk for early death due to possibility for hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

The American Heart Association recommends adults consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of salt per day -- but notes the "ideal limit" is 1,500 milligrams per day. Consuming too much salt can raise blood pressure, which in turn can cause heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, the heart association said.

In the UK, the National Health Service, recommends that adults limit their sodium intake to about a teaspoon of salt a day.

One of the main culprits of high levels of sodium in our diets is processed foods, which often use salt for flavor, texture, color, and preservation. More than 70% of the sodium we eat most times comes from what has been added by the food industry to fast food products we purchase in stores or restaurants.

Cooking at home is one method you can use to have more control over excessive salt intake by making your meal. Reading the ingredients on the labels of products, substituting in herb and spice blends without salt, and focusing your diet on minimally processed foods is one other way to control your salt intake.

The following foods are almost always high in salt. To cut down on salt, eat them less often and have smaller amounts: anchovies, bacon, cheese, gravy granules, ham, olives, pickles, prawns, salami, salted and dry-roasted nuts, salt fish, smoked meat and fish, soy sauce, stock cubes, yeast extract.

In some other foods, the salt content can vary widely between different brands or varieties. That means you can cut down on salt by comparing brands and choosing the one that is lower in salt. Nutrition labels can help you do this.

The salt content in the following foods can vary widely between different brands or varieties: bread products such as crumpets, bagels and ciabatta, pasta sauces, crisps, pizza, ready meals, soup, sandwiches, sausages, tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces, breakfast cereals.

So for our overall health and wellbeing and to avoid the potential for future issues with diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease, reducing salt intake or exploring other healthy alternatives is key.