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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Rachel Dixon

The truth about salt: how to avoid one of the world’s biggest hidden killers

‘Thousands of people in the UK die needlessly each year due to high salt intake.’
‘Thousands of people in the UK die needlessly each year due to high salt intake.’ Composite: Guardian Design Team/Alamy

Last Tuesday, I bought lunch on the go. I fancied something hot, tasty but healthy, so I chose a vegan ramen from the Japanese-inspired chain Wasabi. The soup was packed with turmeric noodles, vegetable gyozas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, pak choi, pickled ginger and sesame seeds, in a soy and miso broth. It was delicious. In fact, it was so delicious, I was suspicious. I checked out its nutritional information online. Only 342 calories, low in saturated fat … Aha! Salt: 5.07g a portion.

The World Health Organization recommends that adults eat less than 5g of salt a day. One noodle soup had exceeded my entire daily intake. (The UK limit is a little more generous at 6g, but even that wasn’t far off.)

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