The impact of salt intake on health and nutrition

This article looks at the progress of salt reformulation in the UK as a strategy to reduce population blood pressure and therefore cardiovascular disease.Practitioners are reminded of the current guidelines for salt intake and foods which contribute most dietary salt to the diets of adults and children.

What is salt?

Salt is the common name for sodium chloride, and comprises 40% sodium and 60% chloride,¹ with sodium intakes being the component associated with high blood pressure.²Salt supplies about 90% of sodium to our diets1. Whilst salt and sodium aren’t interchangeable terms, it is common that ‘salt’ is used when discussing health outcomes and it is the term understood by the general public.