snapkin
The targets · Decision 8 of 14
Where your fibre, salt and mineral targets come from
You can follow two extra nutrients next to protein, like fibre or salt. Each one gets a daily target. Europe and the US publish different targets, so for each nutrient we used the one with the better evidence for your health.
Last updated .
- What the app does
- Gives each dial a daily target from your sex, your age or your calorie goal. Cholesterol and total sugar get no target, only a total.
- How sure we are Fair , Real, but small, indirect, or thinly measured.
- The targets for salt, potassium and saturated fat rest on trials and large reviews. Fibre, calcium, iron and magnesium rest on weaker evidence. None of them is exact for one person.
The targets we use
| Nutrient | EU | US | Snapkin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre | at least 25 g | 21 to 38 g | at least 25 g |
| Saturated fat | under 10% of calories | under 10% of calories | under 10% of your calorie goal |
| Salt | under 5 g | under 5.75 g | under 5 g |
| Potassium | 3,500 mg | 2,600 mg women, 3,400 mg men | 3,500 mg |
| Calcium | 950 mg, 1,000 mg under 25 | 1,000 mg, 1,200 mg for older adults | 950 mg, 1,000 mg under 25 |
| Iron | 11 mg men, 16 mg women | 8 mg men, 18 mg women under 51 | 8 mg men and women over 50, 18 mg women under 51 |
| Magnesium | 350 mg men, 300 mg women | 400 to 420 mg men, 310 to 320 mg women | 350 mg men, 300 mg women |
Where Europe had the better evidence
Salt. The WHO and EFSA (2019) both say 2,000 mg of sodium a day, which is 5 g of salt. The US limit is 2,300 mg. The US report itself says 2,300 mg is only the lowest level it had enough evidence for, and that less still lowers blood pressure. A review of blood pressure trials, Huang et al. (2020), found the effect grows with every step down. In a large trial in China, swapping salt for a salt substitute lowered deaths by 12%.
Potassium. Europe and the WHO set 3,500 mg from its effect on blood pressure and stroke. Aburto et al. (2013) found 24% fewer strokes with more potassium. The US set its lower number from what healthy people already eat, and says there was not enough evidence about disease. We use 3,500 mg for everybody. This is about food. If you have kidney disease or take blood pressure medicine, ask your doctor first.
Calcium. The US adds 200 mg for older adults to protect bones. Bolland et al. (2015) found that more calcium from food was not linked to fewer broken bones. So we keep EFSA’s 950 mg.
Where the US had the better evidence
Iron. The two differ because they assume different things about how much iron the body takes up, not because of a study on health. For women before menopause, 16 mg and 18 mg are close, and we use the higher one. For men and older women, the US number of 8 mg is enough to avoid a shortage. Bao et al. (2012) linked more iron from meat to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, so we see no reason to push men to 11 mg.
Where it makes no real difference
Saturated fat. The WHO and the US guidelines both say under 10% of calories. We work that out from your own calorie goal, like the limit for added sugar. The Cochrane review found 17% fewer heart and blood vessel problems with less saturated fat, but no clear effect on deaths.
Fibre. Europe and the WHO say at least 25 g. Reynolds et al. (2019) found the biggest benefit between 25 and 29 g a day, and more may help. So 25 g is a floor, not a finish line.
Magnesium. Neither number is based on health outcomes. The only evidence, Fang et al. (2016), comes from people who were observed, not tested. We use EFSA’s lower number because it is easier to reach.
Why cholesterol and total sugar have no target
No health body gives a number for cholesterol in food any more. The US guidelines have none, and EFSA sets none. For total sugar, the 90 g on European labels is a reference for labels, not a health limit. Drawing a ring towards a number nobody publishes would be advice we cannot back. So these two show your total and nothing else. Added sugar does have a limit, and it has its own dial.