Salt and cancer prevention

WCRF UK recommends limiting consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium).

Consuming too much salt can be harmful to our health, increasing our risk of stomach cancer as well as high blood pressure.

How much salt do we need?

Our daily intake of salt should be less than 6g (2.4g sodium) – we actually need much less than this. Most people in the UK currently consume more than 6g, but there are simple ways to cut down on our intake.

Salt and sodium – what’s the difference?

Some food labels list the sodium content instead of the amount of salt – sodium is a component of salt. To work out how much salt a food contains, multiply the sodium content by 2.5. According to the Food Standards Agency, a food that is high in salt will contain more than 1.5g of salt per 100g. A food that is low in salt will contain less than 0.3g of salt per 100g.

Salt and cancer prevention – the evidence

Salt and salt-preserved foods are probably a cause of stomach cancer.

There is also evidence that refrigeration indirectly protects against some cancers – probably because it increases the availability of fresh, perishable foods like vegetables and fruits and reduces the need for processed foods, which are often high in salt, fat and sugar.

Find out about our other Recommendations for Cancer Prevention

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