10 April 2024
Pass the salt please…or not…
Ditching your mobile phone at mealtime is good advice but should we also leave the saltshaker behind? Well, ‘it depends,’ especially if you have a heart condition or compromised cardiovascular health.
Worldwide, cardiovascular disease (CVD) trumps every other for the number of deaths it causes annually: more than 20 million, and many of them can be avoided. A major risk for developing CVD – and considered relatively easy to treat and manage – is high blood pressure (hypertension), directly implicated in heart attack and stroke. Other risks include high cholesterol, diabetes, air pollution, obesity, tobacco use, kidney disease, physical inactivity, unhealthy nutrition, harmful use of alcohol and stress.
Put simply, excess salt — because of the sodium it contains — can cause the body to hold onto fluids which in turn can increase the volume of blood coursing through. And while sodium is an essential nutrient, too much of it can increase blood pressure.
More than 1.3 billion people worldwide are affected by hypertension. Data from various countries indicates that most people around the world are consuming much more sodium than the current World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for adults: less than 2000 mg/of sodium per day, equivalent to less than 5 g of salt per day.
Get the benefits without the bane
Lowering sodium intake is one of the main ways to reduce blood pressure. Sodium is found naturally in foods such as dairy, meat, and shellfish. Processed foods and sauces are often high in sodium. These include some breads, crackers, snacks, meats, soy sauce, fish sauce, and bouillon or stock cubes, and the list goes on.
Sodium levels affect people differently. Everyone should get to know their blood pressure and understand the links between these numbers and heart health. Talking to your doctor is a great step in understanding your body’s salt needs and impacts of the sodium.
The culinary scene is filled with tasty options and ideas to satisfy the palate and nourish the body while exploring a myriad seasoning alternatives: check out Use ❤️ to Season with Sense for recipes, tips and more by LoSalt in partnership with The World Heart Federation.
Season with Sense is a public health campaign to help consumers keep the flavour but forego excess salt. It offers practical and expert advice, resources, and low-sodium recipes for a palatable journey towards wise salt choices. Chicken caesar salad or Thai red chicken are on the menu but who would have thought that ‘Bubble and Squeak’ makes for a nourishing brunch or lunch!