Salt And your healthy

Salt is back in the headlines. In March 2006 the Food Standards Agency published new (voluntary) salt reduction targets for food manufacturers and retailers to reduce salt levels by 2010. Overconsumption of salt is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

The FSA's aim is to encourage the reduction of salt levels in 85 food categories that contribute most to the amount of salt in diets of UK consumers. These include: bread, breakfast cereals, cheese, ready-meals, cakes, biscuits , pastries, bacon and other foods. However, some campaigners argue that the voluntary targets don't go far enough, possibly endangering the lives of thousands of at-risk people. Food manufacturers, represented by the Food and Drink Federation, on the other hand, believe the new the targets present a challenge to the industry.

In 2004 the FSA highlighted the association between salt consumption and high blood pressure with its ‘Sid the Slug’ campaign. Around 18 million people in the UK have high blood pressure, or hypertension, a symptom-less yet dangerous condition. People with high blood pressure are three times more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke than people with normal blood pressure. Around 50,000 people a year die from stroke and nearly 238,000 from heart disease in the UK, so cutting average salt consumption could save many lives.

Top 7 sources of antioxidants

Antioxidants are magic food components. Research shows that these substances could help the body fight cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease by thwarting the action of harmful free radicals But which foods are the real antioxidant bombs? Norwegian and US scientists recently compiled an extensive list. In terms of the highest antioxidant content per serving, the winners were:

1. Blackberries This wonderfully delectable summer fruit came out tops. Blackberries give an antioxidant kick of 5,75 millimoles per serving. Blackberries are also fat-free, and a source of folic acid and vitamin C, so there's no holding back. Whip them into smoothies, make a wicked fruit coulis to serve with desserts, or simply have them fresh.You can freeze blackberries and use them all year round. This can be done by coating the berries with a mixture of sugar and ascorbic acid (ask your pharmacist), but it is generally better to freeze lightly boiled berries to which sugar has been added.

2. Walnuts Nuts are great health foods – they're cholesterol-free, generally low in sodium and a great source of vitamins and minerals. But in terms of antioxidant content, walnuts seem to beat the rest of the nut family with 3,72 millimoles per serving.Toss these nuts into salads, mix them into muesli, or include them in rice pudding or apple tart. Just make sure that you have no more than a handful of walnuts per day. If you're overweight, cut this amount to a handful no more than three times per week.

3. Strawberries Strawberries are sexy, fun and – best of all – so low in calories that you can eat as much as you like without giving your weight a second thought. These fruits should also form part of your diet for another reason: they're packed with antioxidants and clock in at 3,58 millimoles of these health-boosting components per 100g serving.There's no need to tell you that strawberries are a great addition to desserts, smoothies, salads, and even cocktails – just make sure you eat them as fresh as possible.

4. Artichokes, cooked The humble artichoke also made the top-10 list. Apart from the 3,56 millimole/100g antioxidant punch, artichokes are a good source of iron.These veggies also help to reduce bowel upsets and help to let good bacteria flourish in your gut.Cook artichokes for 20 minutes with a slice or two of lemon, a bay leaf and salt. The leaves and the heart can then be eaten.

5. Cranberries The cranberry really is a super-food. Numerous studies have shown that the anti-inflammatory properties of this fruit can help to prevent and treat urinary tract, and possibly other, infections.One reason why cranberries are so healthy, is because of their high antioxidant content (3,13 millimoles per 100g). As cranberries are generally too tart to eat fresh, go for the canned varieties and use these in both sweet and savoury dishes.

6. Raspberries Raspberries have a long history of being used to treat conditions ranging from tonsillitis to stomach aches and also to strengthening the womb in pregnancy. Now we know that these berries are not only a good source of antioxidants (2,87 millimoles per 100g serving), but are also high in vitamin C.Ask your grocery store if they stock fresh or frozen raspberries, and use them in fruit salads, deserts or eat them with yoghurt for breakfast.

7. Blueberries Another berry, this time the blueberry, made the list. This only goes to show that berries really are super foods. Apart from the high antioxidant content (2,68 millimoles per serving) there is also preliminary evidence that berries can thwart cholesterol and help prevent liver cancer.Blueberries are not sour and can be eaten raw. This will preserve their vitamin C content.