The mineral sodium in (cooking) salt has the effect of increasing blood pressure. You can cut down your salt intake by eating fewer processed meals and ready meals.
It is estimated that 85% of Dutch people consume more salt than the recommended maximum of 6 grams per day. Foods do not contain much salt naturally, but the food industry often adds it to all kinds of products; 80% of the salt we consume comes from processed food products.
You should therefore opt for unprocessed foods rather than ready meals and use fresh or dried herbs to give your dishes more flavour.
Do you still want to use salt? If so, you should opt for a salt in which (some of) the sodium has been replaced by potassium and magnesium.
Salt and your health
There are a number of health effects associated with a high salt intake.
iGene Passport
iGene offers you an insight into your personal risks of developing conditions and tells you whether cutting down your salt intake may be particularly important for you to help prevent certain conditions.
In addition, an iGene Passport provides you with information on what else you can do to reduce any risks. Here we focus on behaviour that will help you maximise the benefits to your health. In the publication below you can read more about what iGene can do for you.