Shaving salt, saving lives

According to the World Heart Federation, heart disease and strokes are the world’s leading cause of death, killing 17.1 million people every year — that’s more than victims of cancer, HIV and AIDS and malaria. One particular strategy — salt reduction — can significantly cut the number of people experiencing heart disease and stroke, and, in turn, save lives.

Understanding the importance of salt reduction, on this World Heart Day, scheduled to be held on September 29, 2014, World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on countries to take action on the overuse of salt by implementing WHO’s sodium reduction recommendations and to achieve the target to reduce global salt intake by a relative 30% by 2025.

The theme of this year’s World Heart Day — Heart choices not hard choices — also looks at the benefits of reducing salt consumption, particularly in terms of improving health and reducing avoidable deaths from heart cardiovascular diseases.

The main source of sodium in our diet is salt. In many countries, 80% of salt intake comes from processed foods such as bread, cheese, bottled sauces, cured meats and ready-made meals.

Consuming too much salt in any form can lead (or contribute) to hypertension, or high blood pressure, and greatly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

On average, people consume around 10 grams of salt per day. This is around double WHO’s recommended level from all sources, including processed foods, ready-made meals and food prepared at home (less than 5 grams or under one teaspoon per day).

WHO’s evidence-based strategies to reduce salt consumption include:

• Regulations and policies to ensure that food manufacturers and retailers reduce the levels of salt in food and beverage products.
• Agreements with the industry to ensure that manufacturers and retailers make healthy food (with low salt) available and affordable;
• Fostering healthy eating environments (that promote salt reduction) in public places such as schools, hospitals, workplaces and public institutions;
• Ensuring clear food labelling so consumers can easily understand the level of salt in products;
• Implementing WHO’s recommendations on the marketing of foods and non-alcoholic beverages to children.
• Strategies for individuals and families to reduce salt intake include:
• Reading food labels when buying processed food to check salt levels;
• Asking for products with less salt when buying prepared food;
• Removing salt dispensers and bottled sauces from dining tables;
• Limiting the amount of salt added in cooking to a total maximum amount a fifth of a teaspoon over the course of a day;
• Limiting frequent consumption of high salt products;
• Guiding children’s taste buds through a diet of mostly unprocessed foods without adding salt.

Source: World Health Organisation