On March 9, the World Health Organization (WHO) released the first Global Sodium Intake Reduction Report, which showed that the global average sodium intake per person per day was 4310 mg, or about 10.8 grams of table salt, far exceeding physiological needs and exceeding the WHO recommended sodium intake of 2000 mg (equivalent to 5 grams of salt). The so-called "too much salt must be lost". Unhealthy diets are the leading cause of death and disease worldwide, and eating more salt is one of the main culprits.
What is sodium?
Sodium is an essential nutrient that maintains fluid and electrolyte balance and nervous system function. Salt is the main condiment in food cooking or processing, and is the main source of sodium (1g of table salt contains about 393mg of sodium).
The importance of salt reduction!
The 2022 Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommend that adults aged 18 and above consume ≤ 5g of salt per person per day. According to the "Report on Nutrition and Chronic Diseases of Chinese Residents (2020)", the average daily cooking salt of residents aged 18 and above in mainland China is 9.3 grams, which is about twice the recommended amount. Maybe you think it's just 2 times what's the big deal? Research evidence suggests that excessive salt intake can increase the risk of hypertension, stroke and other diseases. In 2020, the prevalence of hypertension among residents aged 18 and above in mainland China was 27.5%, showing an overall upward trend, of which the prevalence of hypertension among residents aged 18~44 was 13.3%. This means that high blood pressure is gradually getting younger. Therefore, if the quantity is not well controlled, health will be threatened, so salt and sodium reduction is imperative!
The first thing to know is that salt intake for different age groups should be controlled within an appropriate range.
Recommended salt intake for different age groups
Secondly, we must know that the human body obtains salt through food, and its sources are usually the following three: first, the natural salt content in food; the second is salt added during food processing; The third is salt added when cooking or eating.
Sodium content in condiments and processed foods
Also keep in mind that some foods are consumed in small amounts, but account for 1/3 of an adult's total sodium intake throughout the day. as
1g monosodium glutamate≈ 0.5g salt
10g bean paste≈ 1.5g salt
15g of squeezed vegetables ≈ 1.6g of salt
Through the "General Principles of Nutrition Labeling of Prepackaged Foods (GB28050-2011)" promulgated by the mainland, it is mandatory to label the sodium content on the nutrition facts table of food labels, as shown in the figure
Therefore, when buying processed food, as long as you find its "nutrition facts table" can judge the content of sodium, generally speaking, more than 30% of the nutrient reference value (NRV) of food needs to pay attention to buy less and eat less!
The truth is understood, how can you control salt
Develop a light taste, learn to quantify, gradually reduce the amount, use spoons, limit salt shakers, and put dishes in the right amount per meal.
Use substitution methods to use vinegar, lemon juice, spices, ginger, pepper, mustard, etc. to replace some salt and soy sauce, oyster sauce, monosodium glutamate, curd and tempeh
Eat fresh or frozen foods that have not been pickled, and eat less salt-cured meats, eggs, and vegetables, such as bacon, sausages, bacon, sausages, belly, ham, pork jerky, beef jerky, salted fish, salted chicken, salted eggs, pine eggs, snow swallow pickles, kohlrabi, etc.
More salt is commonly used in meat cooking, and moderate consumption of meat can reduce salt intake.
Reasonable use of cooking methods, more use steaming, stewing, boiling and other cooking methods, enjoy the natural taste of food not every dish needs to add salt, the last soup can be unsalted.
Eat less high-salt snacks, eat less canned food, monosodium glutamate (monosodium glutamate), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and baking powder are all sources of sodium in the diet and should also be eaten less.
Restaurants use a lot of salt and MSG in their diets, so you should try to avoid eating out. When eating at a restaurant, you do not need to use the salt and soy sauce placed on the table
Learn to read food nutrition labels and refuse foods high in salt.
All in all, each of us is the first responsibility for our own health, we must pay attention to and manage our daily diet, achieve salt control and quantification, and take our families to act quickly for our health!