RECENTLY, the authors of a large study involving more than 90,000 individuals in 18 countries have suggested that consumption of up to two and a half teaspoons of salt per day, equivalent to five grams of sodium, does not increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.

This is against the advice of the World Health Organisation, which advocates a daily sodium intake of no more than two grams, equal to one teaspoon.

The researchers point out that no country has ever been able to achieve this figure and that very low sodium diets may be as detrimental as those high in this salt.

Furthermore, they believe that a diet rich in potassium salt, found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and potatoes may be of greater health benefit than aggressively trying to reduce your sodium consumption.

Most of our sodium intake is from food. Excess of this salt causes fluid to be drawn from our tissues into the blood stream, increasing blood volume and hence blood pressure.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of heart attacks and strokes. High sodium levels have also been linked with kidney disease, stomach cancer and osteoporosis or thinning of the bones.

However, if you have low blood pressure, you may be encouraged to consume a little more sodium, together with drinking enough water, to keep your blood pressure sufficient.

Strenuous exercise will make you lose sodium in sweat, and diarrhoea and vomiting can drop your sodium, sometimes to dangerous levels, so pursuing a low sodium diet is not appropriate in all circumstances.

A theory exists that we all have a natural sodium gauge and that irrespective of culture or climate, most individuals will consume one and a half teaspoons of salt per day, within what the researchers would call a safe amount.

In the last 30 years, the consumption of sodium salt has decreased in the UK, with a demonstrated fall in people’s blood pressure that can be linked to this.

This is partly due to greater awareness of the potential risks of excess sodium, and legislation that means many products, particularly processed foods, have to be marked for either their actual sodium or salt content, or using a traffic light system, red meaning the product is high in sodium.

Some foods high in sodium are easy to identify because of their typically salty taste, including items such as cured meats, salted crisps and nuts.

HOWEVER “hidden” salt exists in breads, cereals and sauces, even those which taste sweet. Some dissolvable tablets, marked “effervescent” may contain more sodium than their non-dissolvable equivalents, so it is worth bearing this in mind if you have been advised to reduce your salt intake.

Further tips that might help are not adding salt during cooking, and tasting a meal before automatically adding salt to it.

While it may take some time to get used to this, the way forward seems to be a diet that is neither high in salt, nor one which seeks to exclude it entirely.