Many people are not aware of how they can reduce the level of salt they consume in their diet, an expert has claimed.
Chairman of the Consensus Action on Salt and Health and professor of cardiovascular medicine Graham McGregor said that many people do not realise why excessive amounts of salt in the diet are bad in the first place and are also confused over where it can be found.
So-called hidden salt is mainly found in processed food or meals out and takeaways, he noted.
"People are unaware of that and they think that they may be able to cut back by using less salt at the table or in their own cooking, but that only makes up about ten per cent of our salt intake," he said.
Making sure salt intake is kept to an absolute minimum is essential in the diets of babies and children as too much of it can prove fatal for a youngster.
Professor McGregor went on to point out the wide range of illnesses which salt intake can contribute to, from kidney disease to stomach cancer and osteoporosis.
