Shake off the killer from your table

Salt is a bigger killer than previously realised. The startling conclusion of a new study predicts that more than 1,000 Britons could be saved every week if we did more to reduce our daily intake.

The salt in our diet is responsible for one in three strokes and one in four heart attacks according to the research, which is published in the latest edition of the journal Hypertension.

It is known that salt encourages fluid retention and creates subtle hormonal changes which push up blood pressure; the more you eat the higher it goes.

Yet we consume far more than we need. The Government recommends a daily intake of no more than 6g (a teaspoonful) but the researchers found we are consuming double that amount. Salt added during cooking or at the table accounts for just 10-15 per cent of the average person's daily intake, with the rest coming from processed foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits and preprepared meals (where it is used to enhance flavour).

The public has taken the message on board in recent years and salt sales have fallen from 55,000 tonnes in 1985 to 30,000 tonnes in 2000, but that pales into insignificance compared with the 230,000 tonnes still used each year by the food industry.

Christmas isn't an easy time to be picky about your diet, but if you are already considering your New Year's resolutions why not take a long, hard look at your family's salt intake and invest in your future by taking steps to reduce it.

Avoid using salt during cooking, or at the table. At first this will be tricky but your taste buds will adapt surprisingly quickly - within three weeks on average. If you really can't manage without salt, then try one of the low-sodium alternatives such as Lo Salt. But, far more importantly, try to avoid ready-made foods that are unnecessarily laced with salt as these account for at least 85 per cent of the average family's daily intake.

Working out the salt content of a particular food from the labelling can be tricky, but it pays to persevere. Compare the salt content of alternative brands to your usual soup/ biscuits/pizza etc and opt for those with the lowest. If more shoppers become wary of salt content, you can be sure that the manufacturers won't be slow to respond.

For more advice and information on hidden salt, and what you and your family can do about it, check out www.actiononsalt.org.uk