There is some concern about the amount of salt used in Western diets because of the links between sodium and high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition which increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.

We need sodium (salt is sodium chloride) for proper cell, nerve and muscle function, but the danger of consuming too much comes partly from the hidden salt in processed foods and the habit of oversalting food at the table. While many of us consume about 3,000-4,600 mg of sodium daily, the recommended intake is no more than 2,300 mg.

There are two ways of reducing your salt intake. Limit your intake of foods, such as smoked and cured meats or fish, cheese, salty snacks, packet soups and stock cubes. Secondly, reduce the amount of salt you add to food, both when cooking and at the table.

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