Salt and sodium

In short: Salt (sodium chloride) is in many ready-made products. The nutrition table often says “salt”, sometimes “sodium”.

In more detail: Salt = sodium × 2.5. Adults should eat at most 5 g of salt a day (WHO). In Germany the intake is above that on average. Too much salt raises blood pressure.

In Depth

• Salt traps: bread, sausage, cheese, ready soups, pizza, sauces, crisps, ready meals.
• Traffic light per 100 g: below 0.3 g low, above 1.5 g high.
• Reducing: Cook yourself, season freshly, herbs instead of salt, look for “low salt”.
• Iodine: Iodised salt helps against iodine deficiency but is not necessary for everyone.
• Sea salt: It is hardly healthier than table salt.

See also: Reading the nutrition table, Flavour enhancers and glutamate