What is salt?

Salt has been used to flavour and preserve food for centuries.

Salt is a mineral made mostly of sodium chloride.

You need sodium for your body to function. However, eating too much salt, and therefore sodium, carries health risks.

Most Australians consume more salt (and therefore sodium) than is recommended.

What's the difference between salt and sodium?

Salt is made of sodium chloride — about 40% is sodium.

It's the sodium that can be damaging to your health.

Why is sodium important for my body?

Sodium is important for many body functions, such as:

• controlling your blood pressure
• balancing fluids in your body
• the proper function of nerves and muscles

Sodium comes into your body from food and drink and is lost in sweat and urine.

How can sodium impact my health?

Too much sodium in your diet is linked to high blood pressure, which can lead to:

• heart disease
• stroke
• heart attack
• chronic kidney disease

Generally, a healthy diet provides enough sodium for your body to function without any problems.

In some circumstances, sodium levels in your blood can become unbalanced. Your sodium levels are measured in millimoles per litre (mmol/L), with a blood test.

Hyponatraemia

Hyponatraemia is when you have too little sodium in your blood (below 135mmol/litre for an adult).

It is rarely caused by too little sodium in the diet. Mostly, it is caused by too much sodium being lost from the body, from things like:

• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• nausea
• excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
• a side effect of some medicines
• excess fluids in the body, such as from overconsumption of water or kidney disease

Symptoms of hyponatraemia may include:

• confusion
• difficulty walking
• lack of energy

Signs of severe hyponatraemia include:

• headache
• muscle twitching and seizures

Severe hyponatraemia can lead to coma.

Hypernatraemia

Hypernatraemia is when you have too much sodium in your blood (more than 145mmol/litre for an adult).

It is usually due to excessive loss of water that is not being replaced by drinking, or not drinking enough. This is known as dehydration. The water can be lost through:

• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• excessive sweating
• taking certain medicines

Symptoms of hypernatraemia include:

• thirst
• confusion
• tiredness

Severe hypernatraemia may lead to coma or death.

Sodium and exercise

You can lose a lot of fluid and sodium through sweating, which can be caused by:

• intense exercise for a long period of time
• exercising or doing physical work in the heat

To make up for the loss of sodium, some people, such as endurance athletes, may need to consume more sodium than the guidelines suggest.

What foods and medicines are high in salt?

Most salt in the Australian diet comes from eating processed and packaged foods. This is then followed by salt added at the table or during cooking.

Food does not have to taste salty to have high sodium content. For example, sweet biscuits can be high in sodium because of the sodium bicarbonate (baking powder) in them — not from added salt.

These foods are typically high in sodium:

• packaged and processed 'ready meals'
• potato crisps and salty snack foods
• processed meats and meat products
• burgers and pizza
• cheese
• certain sauces, spreads and condiments, such as Vegemite and soy sauce

Some common pain-relief medicines and vitamin supplements — those that fizz (or are called soluble or dissolvable) when you dissolve them in water — may contain high levels of sodium.

Check the packet or Consumer Medicines Information leaflet for the sodium content if you use these regularly.

Are some types of salt healthier than others?

There are different types of salt other than plain table salt, such as:

• sea salt
• pink salt
• Himalayan salt
• black salt

Some brands claim to offer health benefits because they contain additional minerals.

However, additional minerals may only be present in trace amounts. You're likely to get them from other sources in your diet.

Regardless of these claims, all salt contains sodium, which if overconsumed can cause health problems.

Iodised salt

Iodised salt has been fortified with iodine.

Iodine is a mineral essential for health. It is important for

• making thyroid hormones
• people who are planning to get pregnant, are pregnant or are breastfeeding

Too little iodine (iodine deficiency) can impact neurological function.

Table salt with iodine is widely available. All Australian commercial bread (except organic bread) is made with iodised salt.

Are salt substitutes safe?

Salt substitutes and reduced-sodium salts may not be suitable for everyone.

Salt substitutes usually combine sodium chloride with potassium chloride, another mineral. This reduces the amount of sodium in salt used. Many reduced salt foods now contain salt substitutes.

You should seek medical advice before using salt substitutes or eating foods with salt substitutes if you:

• have kidney problems
• take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines
• take certain blood pressure medications, including ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and some diuretics

This is because these salts can lead to increased levels of potassium.

How much sodium do I need each day?

It is recommended that adults have no more than 2,000mg of sodium each day. This is equal to about 5g of salt or 1 teaspoon.

Salt is usually measured in grams (g) and sodium in milligrams (mg).

This is the amount that may help prevent chronic disease, such as high blood pressure.

An adequate amount of sodium per day for adults is 460mg to 920mg (equal to 1.15g to 2.3g of salt per day).

Recommended sodium intake for Australian children

*Adequate intake is the average level that is estimated to be adequate in healthy children.

Age	Adequate intake for sodium*	Salt equivalent weight
1-3 years	200-400 mg/day	0.5-1 g/day
4-8 years	300-600 mg/day	0.75-1.5 g/day
9-13 years	400-800 mg/day	1-2 g/day
14-18 years	460-920 mg/day	1.15-2.3 g/day

How can I find out how much sodium is in my food?

Food labels in Australia must list total sodium content. This includes:

• naturally occurring sodium
• sodium from food additives
• sodium from added salt

They all count towards your daily sodium allowance. The labels must also record all salt and sodium-containing additives in the ingredients list.

See the nutrition information panel on the packaging for the:

• total amount of sodium you are consuming in the 'per serve' column
• amount of sodium 'per 100g', which helps you compare the sodium content of similar foods

Australian nutrition experts recommend choosing foods with 400mg of sodium per 100g. Foods labelled 'low salt' are best. These have less than 120mg sodium per 100g.

Salts that contain sodium include:

• rock salt
• sea salt
• celery salt
• garlic salt
• onion salt

These ingredients may also indicate high sodium:

• baking powder
• meat
• yeast extract
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)
• sodium bicarbonate
• sodium nitrate
• stock cubes

Sodium from any source, not just salt, may carry health risks if overconsumed.

How do I convert sodium to salt?

You can convert the amount of sodium in a food into its equivalent weight in salt (sodium chloride).

To convert sodium to grams (g) of salt:

1. take the amount of sodium in milligrams (mg)
2. multiply this by 2.5
3. divide this number by 1,000

For example, 100mg of sodium × 2.5 = 250mg salt divided by 1,000 = 0.25g salt. So, 100mg sodium equates to 0.25g of salt.

You can also use the Heart Foundation's sodium and salt converter.

How can I reduce my sodium intake?

More than three-quarters of salt consumed in the Australian diet is from salt added to processed foods. Avoiding these foods or choosing more wisely can substantially reduce your sodium intake.

It's also possible to 'retrain' your taste buds to adapt to having less salt. Reduce your salt intake gradually and after a while, you might not notice the lack of salt.

The best place to start is to follow the Australian Dietary Guidelines, and eat fresh and unprocessed foods, including:

• plenty of vegetables
• fruits
• whole grains

You can also reduce your sodium intake by:

• checking food labels
• choosing lower-sodium foods, and foods labelled as 'low-salt', 'salt-reduced' or 'no added salt'
• avoiding adding salt at the table or while cooking
• using garlic, herbs, spices, lemon juice and vinegars to flavour food instead of salt
• cooking your own food instead of eating takeaway food and pre-packaged foods
• avoiding cured and salted processed meats
• limiting salty snacks

If you want to change your diet, you can speak to your doctor. They can refer you to a dietitian.

Dietitians can help you change your diet, while making sure you still get all the nutrients your body needs. An accredited practising dietitian can help you design a healthy eating plan tailored to you.

Resources and support

For more information on dietary salt and sodium, speak to your doctor or a dietitian.

For more information and resources, you can:

• find an accredited practising dietitian at Dietitians Australia
• visit the Heart Foundation
• visit the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website
• Find resources for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples at eatforhealth.gov.au
• find nutrition resources in languages other than English, at healthtranslations.vic.gov.au

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.