Seaweed for Salt Replacement? Does it work?

So, what are the guidelines?

The NHS states that those over 11 years old should not consume more than 6g of salt a day. Although it’s not the case in Europe due to food laws, other places in the world sometimes label sodium instead of salt. To convert sodium to salt, you would multiply the grams by 2.5. Therefore, you should not consume more than 2.4g of sodium a day as it is equal to 6g of salt. The Department of Health estimates by reducing salt intake from 8g per day to 6g per day, we could prevent more than 8,000 premature deaths from heart attacks and strokes. Meanwhile, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that every 1g salt reduction could save our over-burdened NHS £1.5 billion in healthcare costs. 

Foods high in salt

Most pre-packaged foods now include a traffic light system on their products. This is designed to demonstrate if the product is high in ingredients such as sugar, salt and fat. So, if the traffic light system is red for salt, then you don’t need to worry working it out because you know that red means the content is high. A lot of ready meals are high in sugar and salt and generally should be avoided. It is recommended that you try to consume whole foods, while cooking meals from scratch if possible. It is also advisable to limit foods such as bacon, cured meats, tomato sauce, beans and stock cubes as these are all high in salt. Europe on a whole is consuming too much of these foods. An average of between 8 to 12 grams of salt a year according to the World Health Organisation. This surpasses NHS recommendations.

Seaweed for salt replacement

One suggestion has been to use seaweed for salt replacement, if not completely then partially. Seaweed contains sodium naturally but also has other added benefits such as being high in iodine and other vitamins and minerals. One particular study, funded by the EU and called the TASTE project, aimed to see whether seaweed could be a viable option. The researchers concluded that brown algae could be used as a salt substitute which could help to reduce the salt content of industrially processed foods. The study actually concluded Ascophyllum nodosum (the species found in our PureSea range) could be used in place of salt in bread making. Click here to see some recipes using our PureSea seaweed powder.

Seaweed, salt alternative?

Seaweed is considered one of the leading future sustainable foods, but as well as this, it is also high in minerals that mean it can act as an effective salt substitute. Seaweed is particularly high in potassium and magnesium, two important substances which help to boost the flavour of your food without leading to too much sodium.

Not everything has to be black and white – you can use seaweed as an effective way to cut down your salt intake, rather than removing salt from your diet altogether. A little salt is fine, but replacing some of your salt intake with seaweed can help stop you from consuming too much. As a salt substitute, seaweed is one of the best options.

Conclusion

Seaweed can be used as a salt replacement. However in most instances, it may be better to be used in combination. This allows for a reduction in the salt content while maintaining a desired level of seasoning. Seaweed also has flavour boosting properties. This is because seaweed is notorious for its umami properties which can help to enhance food. Umami is one of the five tastes and can be described as a savoury flavour. Therefore, seaweed can reduce the salt content whilst improving the overall mouth feel of the product. Our PureSea range is an ideal choice. Our PureSea Natural and PureSea Smoked can be bought as fine powder or medium flakes depending on the requirement.