BBC News Online examines the issue of salt in the diet, and why high levels can be dangerous both for children and adults.
Salt is a commonly occuring mineral, the technical name of which is sodium chloride.
It is the sodium part of salt that is important. The body needs a certain amount of sodium to function properly. Sodium helps to maintain the concentration of body fluids at correct levels. It also plays a central role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the nerves, and helps cells to take up nutrients. In adults, when levels of sodium are too high, the body retains too much water and the volume of bodily fluids increases.