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Salt: the hidden lever
The cheapest blood-pressure intervention in the diet.
The WHO target is under 5 g of salt a day — about a teaspoon — while the regional average runs 8-12 g, and three quarters of it is already in the food (bread, cheese, processed meat, ready meals), not in the salt shaker. Lowering intake lowers blood pressure, more in people who already have high pressure.
The practical moves are boring and effective: less processed meat and ready meals, check the bread label, cook from base ingredients, and let the salt shaker be the last 20% rather than the first. Taste adapts in a few weeks — salt preference is a habit, not a property.
The numbers
- WHO target: under 5 g/day (about a teaspoon).
- Regional intake: roughly 8-12 g/day.
Source: WHO — salt reduction and cardiovascular disease · checked 2026-09-07
Reference, not medical advice. Your targets are set by a clinician from your total risk. Chest pain, breathlessness at rest or fainting are emergency symptoms — get help, do not read on.