Salt just as harmful for our health as sugar

MOST of us are aware that too much sugar is bad for us, indeed I like the sweet taste of sugar so much I feel guilty instinctively when I eat sweets or cakes!
But salt does not have the same effect on my conscience - although it too is harmful if we eat too much.
Some authorities believe too much salt is the biggest cause of high blood pressure in the UK today.
The recommended maximum amount for an adult is 6g a day. That is about one heaped teaspoonful.
I have found it much easier to reduce my salt intake than my sugar intake, and I think most people would probably find it easy too if they tried.
At home we do not add salt to the food during cooking, but only add it at the table after tasting the food.
This way, we have to make a conscious decision we want to add it each time.
I have written before about my friend Tony who used to like adding loads of extra salt to his food, even commercially prepared food.
Although he had passed a pilot’s medical which noted he had high blood pressure, he ignored this, and the messages about salt, and was left severely handicapped by a stroke in his 50s.
He bitterly regrets not changing his lifestyle until it was too late.
Apart from adding salt to food, we also consume it in processed food. A small bag of crisps can contain 200mg of salt, and about the same amount can be found in a slice of bread.
My favourite takeaway, a curry with poppadoms, can contain more than a whole day’s allowance, as can a day’s recommended number of effervescent painkillers.
It is easy to keep track of by looking at the packets, because all packaged food sold in the UK has to say how much salt it contains on the label.