Is salt bad for you, what is the recommended daily intake for adults and children and what happens if you have too much in your diet?

WE ALL love a cheeky sprinkling of salty goodness every now and again, but as lovely as it tastes on our fish and chips, it’s not very good for us at all.

We’ve got the the lowdown on all things salty.

Is salt bad for us?

When consumed in moderation, salt is fine, and it’s a part of a healthy diet.

Salt is natural and comes in most foods, so it’s hard to avoid eating it at all, however, the problem lies in over-consumption.

Foods such as bacon, olives and cheese are naturally high in salt as it’s just how they naturally are, so it’s unavoidable.

But things such as certain brands of bread and cereal can be bad for us when the levels are slightly higher, as we eat these so frequently.

How much salt should we have?

For adults the recommended daily amount isn’t much, a lot less than you’d think at six grams a day.

To put it into perspective, that’s around one tablespoon a day… doesn’t sound like much does it?

For children, it’s even less, with one to three year olds allowed 2g salt a day and four to six year olds allowed slightly more at 3g a day.

Seven to 10 year olds can have up to 5g a day, and those over the age of 11 are allowed the same as adults.

What are some of the results of too much salt?

Too much salt in your daily diet can have a very detrimental effect on your health.

It can lead to heart disease or even a stroke as it increases your risk of suffering from them.

Consuming too much salt raises your blood pressure, and high blood pressure is undetectable.