Flourish - eMag - Feb 25 - Flipbook - Page 31
HOW
MUCH
DO WE NEED?
SALT
Most Australians consume more salt than necessary. However, discussing salt can be
confusing because salt contains more than sodium, and recommendations may vary
depending on whether they refer to salt or sodium speci昀椀cally.
Salt (sodium chloride) is approximately 40%
sodium. This means that 1 g of salt contains 400
milligrams of sodium.
According to the Nutrient Reference Values
for Australia and New Zealand, the suggested
dietary target for sodium for generally healthy
adults is 2,000 milligrams (2 g) per day. This
昀椀gure serves as an upper limit rather than
a target to achieve, due to the link between
excessive sodium intake and high blood
pressure.
What does 2,000 milligrams of sodium look
like? It equates to 5 g of salt—or about a
teaspoon—per day.
However, this does not mean you should
add a teaspoon of salt to your food daily.
For most people, the majority of their salt
intake is hidden in foods already prepared by
manufacturers.
