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Salt sends signals and busts bugs
Sodium is an important part of your blood, and it helps carry nutrients into your body's cells. Sodium also helps regulate your blood pressure and helps your nervous system transmit messages. All of these functions mean that eating a small amount of sodium is essential for us to stay alive. The chloride bit of salt is also useful. Your body uses it to make stomach acid to help digest food and kill off dodgy bacteria. Just like a lot of other
food ingredients, eating a bit of salt is essential for us to stay healthy.
But eating too much salt can also damage our health.
We only need a very small amount of salt in our diet (for teenagers and adults the most we should eat is about a teaspoon a day). But because it's so important to our health we've developed a real taste for it. Our ancestors didn't have salt shakers or processed foods. They had to get all the salt they needed from natural sources like meat and vegetables. An attraction to the taste of salt made sure that they chose foods that contained enough to keep them healthy. These days it is very easy to find salty foods, and many of us eat far more salt than is healthy for us. About three-quarters (75%) of the salt we eat comes in processed foods. Salt is an ingredient in most bread, breakfast cereal, soup, baked beans, biscuits and lots and lots of other foods. In fact, manufacturers add so much salt to our food that there is no need to add any extra salt, because most of us are already eating too much.
Salt pumps up your blood pressure
About one third of adults have high blood pressure, and most of them don't realise it. For many people, this won't be a problem. But for some, high blood pressure may cause them to have a stroke and suffer brain damage. Eating less salt can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of getting heart disease or having a stroke in later life.
It doesn't say salt, it says sodium!
Some companies now do the maths for you and tell you the 'salt equivalent'. But some companies don't tell you the salt or sodium levels at all.
Salt helps food to last longer People are always looking for ways to make food last longer. Our ancestors learned they could keep food longer if they dried it by putting it in the sun, or smoked it over a fire. Adding salt also helps the preserving process by killing bacteria that might cause food poisoning. This is why foods like bacon (a preserved meat) and cheese (preserved milk) contain so much salt. The salt keeps the bugs at bay which means we can keep food longer. Put your mouse over the
picture to find out what happens to bacteria when you pour salt on them.
Most bacteria hate to live in salty places. Can you control the salt you eat?
But what about the salt already added by food companies? Three quarters (75%) of the salt we eat comes from processed foods. And it's often found where you wouldn't expect it - in foods such as bread, breakfast cereals and biscuits. Such 'hidden' salt can be very hard to avoid. Many food companies use salt to tempt our tastebuds and increase sales, so they're reluctant to reduce the salt they add, even when they know that it can harm health. The UK government is now asking companies to cut back on salt, and even 'naming and shaming' companies that continue to add high levels of salt to food.
Got this far? Then click here to find out some amazing facts about salt!
Click here to download activity sheets on the subject of fat, salt and sugar
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Why do we like salty foods?
Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure. When you
are young this should not be a problem. But as you get older, high blood
pressure starts to have an affect on how well your body works. That's
why doctors and scientists say it's a good idea to cut back on eating
salt.
Most food labels tell you how much salt is in your food, but
they call it 
It's easy to cut back
on the salt you 
