TRICK THAT MAKES IT OK TO EAT SALT

THE latest research suggests we can enjoy more salt on our food if we get enough potassium.

Adults are advised to consume about 4.7g a day, but our preference for processed food means many people have less than half that amount because they don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables, says Professor Scott Lear, the head of cardiovascular prevention research at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, and coauthor of the new Lancet study.

Other good sources include dairy, meat and fish.

To obtain more potassium from your diet, try these tips.

EAT this daily snack combination: one banana, one orange, a quarter of a cup of almonds, one tomato — and add spinach to sandwiches. This adds up to 1.4g of potassium. A CUP of red kidney beans contains nearly 300g potassium. Professor Lear recommends making a salad of red kidney beans (one sixth of a cup) with almonds, spinach, tinned mandarin oranges, a tomato, pumpkin seeds and half an avocado (this has about 1.7g potassium). EAT a cup of dried apricots (2.2g potassium). But what about a supplement? The advice is that these can be absorbed too quickly, risking a sudden reduction in blood pressure. Note: Anyone with a kidney problem should seek advice from a doctor or dietitian before attempting to increase their potassium intake.