Salt, or sodium, is a  mineral that is essential for regulating a variety of chemical processes in your body. Salt helps to regulate water balance in your body and functions in maintaining a healthy electrical and physical environment in your cells, nerves and muscles.

Too much salt in your diet must be filtered from your blood by the kidneys for excretion in urine. Most people use salt because it enhances the flavor of food and is used as an additive in food preparation.

The recommended amount of salt that you need in a day is about 2400mg. One teaspoon of salt has 2400mg of sodium. Most foods have a small amount of salt in them and processed foods often have much more than the recommended daily amounts.

All sources of salt need to be counted toward your daily budget and it is generally unnecessary to add salt during food preparation or at the table.  However, most people are used to high amounts of salt in their diet and it can be difficult to reduce your intake without food tasting bland.

The good news is that taste sensitivity to salt can be changed over time so that the bland taste of food without added salt will eventually go away. Practicing a low salt diet over time can improve sensitivity again and foods will taste salty at a lower level of salt.

Reducing your salt intake is essential for everyone but most especially if you have high blood pressure or kidney disease which are common among diabetics.