How Much Salt Is Actually Too Much?
Published 16 September 2026
Hello! Wednesday is our knowledge day — once a week, we share an educational article to give you food for thought and help you make more informed choices.
This time, food and biotechnology student Anette Auväärt writes about salt. Salt is a peculiar character: on the one hand, nearly every health recommendation warns against it, while on the other, it is one of the few substances you simply could not live without. Without sodium, your nerves, muscles, and heart would not function. So where is the limit — and is the pink Himalayan salt on the store shelf actually better than inexpensive table salt?
One fact you can take away right now
Most of us think that salt intake depends on how much salt we sprinkle on our food ourselves. In reality, it is estimated that up to 80% of our daily salt intake already comes from processed and ready-made foods — the salt shaker on the table is insignificant by comparison.
You can get one gram of salt from just 8 grams of salted herring, 40 grams of potato chips or a pickle, 50 grams of smoked ham, or 90 grams of cheese. The daily recommendation is five grams — it adds up faster than you think.
Which questions will be answered?
When can there be too much salt in your diet, and when can there be too little?
As a dedicated exerciser, should you consume more salt?
Is Celtic salt healthier than regular salt?
How can you get exactly the right amount of salt from your daily diet?
Earn a knowledge point by reading
Review questions await you at the end of the article. Our goal is not simply to share reading recommendations, but to give you genuinely new knowledge. If you answer all the questions correctly, one knowledge point will be added to your account. You can see your points total on the dashboard, and each new article gives you an opportunity to increase it.
About the author
Anette Auväärt is a food and biotechnology student at TalTech. Her interest in nutrition began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she developed a desire to better understand how everyday food choices affect health, well-being, and work capacity. Over time, this grew into a desire to gain a deeper understanding of how the human body functions and to learn to distinguish evidence-based information from common myths — which is exactly what led her to study food and biotechnology. On the blog, Anette shares evidence-based and practical information to help distinguish facts from myths and make more informed choices.
Enjoy the article — and the next time you pick up a jar of pink salt at the store, you will already know what you are really paying for!
