Estimated reading time: 6 minute(s)
Adetutu Sobowale
The World Health Organisation, (WHO) has linked too much consumption of salt to heart disease, stroke, saying it can lead to death.
According to a recent report
under the WHO Episode #94 on Science Conversation which was released on Friday, excessive salt consumption is the most important dietary risk factor for the global burden of disease.
The report revealed that one in four adults has high blood pressure, and around 2 million people die each year as a result of consuming too much salt.
The health organisation recommends a daily salt intake of no more than 5 grams, which is roughly half of what people consume on average, adding that, in many high-income countries, up to 80% of salt intake comes from manufactured foods, including high-salt snacks and food consumed outside the home.
“Normally the same preparation that we consume at home has less salt than the one that is produced in a restaurant, for example. Just to give you an example, if you take an average bag of chips of 150 grams, only that bag of chips contains half of the salt we’re supposed to consume every day,” says the report.
WHO noted that individuals can take control of their diets and reduce their salt intake by up to one-third to one-half, saying ,this can be done by simple steps like reducing salt during cooking, replacing it with other seasonings, and buying low-salt products.
“Remember that we need to do that by one third to one half of our current intake. Some of it is under our control, and we can add less salt during cooking. We can replace it with other seasoning, you know, lemon juice, spices. We can also decide to buy less of the food that contains a high amount of salt, i.e., of processed food,” It advised.
It stressed further that the governments can also play their part by working with food manufacturers to produce low-salt products and offering meals with less salt in public institutions such as schools.
“By making small changes in our diet and lifestyle, we can reduce our risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
“It’s a collaboration between individuals, food manufacturers, and public health authorities that will ultimately result in a healthier population.” WHO further advised.
Estimated reading time: 1 minute(s)
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