Hello,

1) Could you please clarify to what extent it is necessary to address the salt content in meals in everyday life? I mean situations when someone in the family cooks a meal or when we go to a restaurant. In such cases, we do not know how much salt is in the dish. I am interested in your opinion on this issue. I understand that it is important and practically simple to monitor the salt content in purchased foods, but the situations described above are difficult to deal with in real life. So does it make sense, for example, to try to limit (preferably not consume at all) foods with a high amount of hidden salt and not add more salt to already prepared dishes, but not worry too much about salt in other cases?

2) And I still cannot quite understand how it is possible that the recommended maximum daily intake is 5 grams. Is it really feasible for normal people to stick to this? Even if one eliminates or limits hidden salt in purchased foods, when I see how much salt some people add to their meals, we still exceed this limit, don't we? If I cooked just for myself, it wouldn't be a problem for me because I also enjoy unsalted food, but I'm more concerned about when I eat food prepared by someone else...

The salt content in food is one of the key factors that every responsible individual should address in their diet, as an excess of sodium is a health hazard (it burdens the kidneys, lymphatic, and cardiovascular systems). The solution in everyday practice is relatively simple - in a home setting, it is necessary to control the amount of salt added during meal preparation and simultaneously minimize the use of foods with high salt content (bread, salty cheeses, smoked meats, canned goods...), and in public dining, choose dishes that do not include highly industrially processed foods containing higher amounts of sodium (cheeses, breaded items, smoked meats...). These practices lead to a reduction in salt intake, which may not always fall below the threshold of 5 g per day, but this should not be seen as a failure, as the figures are just a tool, not a definitive indicator.

The recommended 5 g of salt per day pertains to the averaged adult population, and adhering to the aforementioned guidelines will always result in situations where the amount of salt in daily food realistically hovers around this threshold (you have the opportunity to monitor this, among other things, while creating tasks on the educational application ZOF during your studies).

Themes:  Salt