Cked out salt! Got a health question? Psychic guidance Live

It’s fate Pinch of Should we really believe that it’s bad for us? To pay by your phone bill, call

Drinking alcohol, smoking and lack of exercise are known to be big risks to health, but experts can’t seem to agree about salt…

The against group:

The Government and World Health Organization tell us salt is bad and we should keep it low. Why? Research shows too much salt may raise your blood pressure, increasing your risk of coronary heart disease. Adults should have no more than 6g of salt daily.

The pro lobby:

Other experts don’t agree… Why? They say there’s no convincing proof that lowering salt reduces heart disease for people with normal blood pressure. A diet too low in salt may raise lipids (fats in blood) levels. It can also increase insulin resistance linked to diabetes. Both are bad for your heart.

How much?

Nobody’s saying we don’t need any salt in our diet – it helps keep your fluids at the right level and is needed for muscle and nerve activity. But no-one knows how much we need, so aim for 6g a day. Eat real food, rather than processed. Don’t add salt to food when cooking – try other flavours such as garlic. And check labels for red, green or amber warnings. Salt may be listed as sodium and 6g of salt equals only 2.4 grams of sodium.

And other types?

Sea salt has minerals in it that are good for health – they’ve been taken out of table salt to stop it clumping. But sea salt has the same amount of sodium, the ingredient in salt (sodium chloride) that’s linked to heart disease. Go easy with both.