How can I cutback on the amount of salt I eat

A.� It's well established that too much salt, over a period of time, can cause health problems, particularly high blood pressure and heart disease. But many of our favourite foods are packed with salt - without us even realising.

For instance, baked beans in tomato sauce, digestive biscuits, tomato ketchup, cornflakes, crumpets and even bread, all contain large hidden amounts of sodium.

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Q.� What changes to my diet can I make

A.� Stop adding salt at the table and halve the amount you use in cooking will have an instant effect. Hard and blue cheeses, smoked meats, deli meats, smoked fish and bacon are normally very high in salt, as is anything canned in brine rather than water. Crisps and other snacks are high in salt, but so are sweet biscuits and cakes. Dried fruit and nuts is a better bet.

Most bread is higher in salt than you would imagine (it accounts for about 20 per cent of the nation's daily salt intake from bought food, and cheese biscuits aren't much better. Ryvita is a low salt alternative.

Sea salt contains as much sodium as normal table salt, but there are low-salt versions around, suhc as LoSalt.

Try and replace salt in your diet with natural flavours - chilli, ginger, garlic, cumin, and herbs such as basil, mint, rosemary and coriander. Foods with plenty of natural flavour are onions, tomatoes and beef and need no salt.

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Q.� What effect does salt have on your body

A.� Salt (sodium chloride) consists of 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent chloride, and it's the sodium element that's dangerous.�It is thought that high levels of sodium make the kidneys retain more fluid in the body and this affects the blood vessels, which in turn affects blood pressure. A diet high in salt can cause fluid retention and may be linked with kidney stones.

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Q.� What's the recommended level

A.� The Department of Health says that a tiny amount of sodium - as little as 69mg a day - is sufficient for the normal requirements of most people. Salt helps regulate the body's fluid balance and is also necessary for nerve and muscle activity. The department also recommends we eat no more than 1,600mg (1.6g) sodium a day - that's just 4g of salt.

The average UK intake in adults is 3,640mg (3.4g) of sodium. That translates into 9g of salt a day - two teaspoonfuls - which adds up to over 3.25kg a year.

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For more food and drink questions and answers, click here

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By Katharine MacColl

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