Salt: A Major Health Priority
Reported September 15, 2009
(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Love sprinkling salt on your food? Pay attention to how much you pour. Some doctors say salt may be one of our biggest health enemies.
High sodium diets have been linked to high blood pressure, vascular and cardiac damage, stomach cancer, osteoporosis and more. Of the one billion adults globally with high blood pressure, between 17 and 30 percent are associated with high sodium levels. “Wide reduction in sodium intake could prevent a large proportion of cardiovascular events in both normotensive and hypertensive populations,” Dr. Kevin Willis from the Canadian Stroke network and coauthor was quoted as saying.
Experts say a high sodium intake is a public health priority, calling for both government and personal action. The average Canadian’s intake is more than double recommended levels. Eighty percent of the sodium in developed countries is from processed foods. Some experts call for governmental control of the food industry. More immediate and desirable would be the public’s voluntary action.
The national public health policy should concentrate on reformulating processed foods, according to study authors. Consumer ought to be well educated, and be provided with clear food labels, according to the experts.
SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2009