Don’t pass the salt: Seasoning your food at the table can cut years off your life

It's impossible to live a life without salt as our body needs it to survive. Some people, however, should think twice about reaching for the salt shaker during meals. This is according to a new study, which indicates that many of us need to reduce our salt intake.

The research, which involved just over 500 000 middle-aged adults in the UK, found a link between earlier death and those who habitually season their food.

Overall, the team found that at the age of 50, consistently adding salt to your food at the table knocks off 2.28 years of your life if you're a male, and 1.5 years if you're a female, compared to those who don't. These results didn't factor in seasoning during the cooking process.