It slips into our diets silently, hiding in plain sight. Salt, an everyday staple, has become one of the easiest nutrients to overconsume. The NHS recommends that adults limit their intake to no more than 6 grams per day, roughly the equivalent of a level teaspoon. Yet the average adult in England consumes about 8.4 grams daily, exceeding the recommended limit by a striking 40 per cent.
Around three-quarters of the salt in our diets is hidden in packaged and everyday foods we routinely buy, often without a second thought. Consider soup, the very symbol of warmth and nourishment, it has long been trusted as a virtuous, light meal. But research analysing nearly 500 varieties of tinned and chilled supermarket soups found that almost a quarter contained excessive salt levels.
The danger, it seems, is not always what tastes salty. Everyday staples such as bread, breakfast cereals and even canned vegetables, foods that rarely trigger alarm, can quietly and significantly push sodium intake beyond safe limits.
A greater risk for South Asian communities
For Britain’s South Asian communities these invisible excess carries even greater consequences. These groups already face disproportionately higher rates of hypertension, earlier onset coronary artery disease, a greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes, and increased cardiovascular mortality at younger ages.
“This increased vulnerability is due to a combination of genetic predisposition, higher rates of insulin resistance, central adiposity (visceral fat), and social determinants of health,” explains Dr Krishnaraj S Rathod, Senior Clinical Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and Honorary Interventional Cardiology Consultant at Barts Heart Centre.
Dietary patterns can sometimes deepen this risk. He adds that traditional South Asian diets can sometimes compound the risk, as they often include foods high in salt- such as pickles (achar), papadums, salted snacks, processed sauces and spice mixes, as well as restaurant and takeaway meals.
“Moreover, awareness of “hidden salt” in packaged and convenience foods remains low across all communities”, he said.
The implications are profound. According to Dr Rathod, salt intake remains one of the most important and modifiable dietary risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the UK.
He said, “In the UK, cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of death, and hypertension affects millions of adults, many of whom are unaware they have it. High salt consumption directly contributes to this burden.”
“Even modest reductions in salt intake in higher-risk populations could lead to meaningful reductions in stroke and heart attack risk,” Dr Rathod emphasizes.
Small changes, powerful impact
The encouraging truth is that reducing salt does not require drastic sacrifice, only awareness and small, consistent changes.
Learning to read labels is one of the most powerful first steps. Foods containing less than 0.3g of salt per 100g are considered low-salt options, and comparing brands can reveal surprising differences. Ready meals, sauces, soups and breakfast cereals are particularly important to check.
Cutting back on processed foods can have an immediate impact. Reducing crisps, salted snacks, processed meats such as sausages and bacon, ready meals and takeaways helps lower overall intake. Cooking at home offers far greater control, allowing salt to be used sparingly and intentionally.
Limiting pickles, papadums and salty condiments can help, while fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, lemon and spices offer vibrant alternatives that do not rely on sodium. Even rinsing canned foods such as beans and vegetables can wash away some of their sodium burden.
Eating out also deserves caution and perhaps most importantly, resisting the reflex to add salt before tasting can break a lifelong habit. Removing the saltshaker from the table altogether can make restraint easier.
Salt may be silent, but its effects are not. In recognising where it hides, and in choosing to consume less of it, we reclaim control over one of the most powerful determinants of our long-term health.
Read the labels
Around three-quarters of the salt we consume comes from pre-prepared, processed and convenience foods rather than from the salt we add at the table or in cooking and so it is very important to read the labels.
UK food labels list either salt or sodium. To convert sodium to salt: Salt (g) = Sodium (g) × 2.5 Many packaged products use traffic-light labels to show salt content:
- Green (Low): ≤ 0.3g salt per 100g
- Amber (Medium): 0.3–1.5g salt per 100g
- Red (High): > 1.5g salt per 100g
