As a condiment, salt plays an important role in the preparation of many tasty dishes – yet unfavourable habits may mean that the recommended upper daily amount is exceeded. Qualified nutritionist Anja Krumbe explains the significance of salt and reveals strategies in how to reduce consumption:
‘Table salt is a markedly popular and much used seasoning. In terms of nutritional physiology, it also makes sense to ensure you have sufficient salt intake – ultimately salt is responsible for efficient functioning of the body’s water and acid-base balance. However, excessive salt consumption can also lead to high blood pressure in many people. This is why the German Nutrition Society recommends a maximum intake of 6 grams per day. The majority of this amount is met by bread, bakery goods, sausages and cheeses. Unfavourable eating habits and in particular the habit of ‘adding salt’ at the table – often people reach for the salt shaker even before they have tasted the food – mean the recommended amount is quickly exceeded. In providing advice on nutrition we make the consumers aware of the salt content in foodstuffs and encourage them to use salt sparingly when preparing meals and to use more spices and fresh herbs instead – these provide a meal with flavours and aromas. In the private household, large-scale catering establishments, and also in food production, yeast extract has an interesting role to play in this context. Thanks to its characteristic aromatic and spicy flavour, yeast extract also has a hand in reducing the salt content of meals, while corresponding with consumers’ taste preference.’
