Salt is the first of all flavors, we need it to cook deliciously, we need it to maintain growth and metabolism, but it is not enough.
Unhealthy diets are the leading cause of death and disease worldwide, and eating more salt is one of the main culprits. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), global sodium intake far exceeds recommended values, and effective mandatory measures need to be taken as soon as possible to reduce the sodium intake of the population.
Experts interviewed
Jing Hao, Professor, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University
Song Xin, nutritionist, Department of Nutrition, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University
The global "salt value" is exceeded
On 9 March, the World Health Organization released its first global report on reducing sodium intake. According to the report, the global average sodium intake per person per day is 4310 mg, or about 10.8 grams of table salt.
In daily life, sodium intake mainly comes from sodium chloride, that is, salt, so "sodium reduction" is usually directly expressed as "salt reduction". Sodium is also included in other flavorings, such as MSG.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume no more than 5 grams of salt per person per day, and globally, the average daily salt intake is more than twice the recommended amount.
The World Health Organization calls on countries to take necessary measures, such as setting standards for sodium content in foods and diets, to reduce sodium in foods; limit salt-rich foods in public institutions such as hospitals, schools, workplaces, nursing homes, etc.; Identification on the front of food packaging; Increase media publicity such as salt reduction and sodium reduction to control salt intake.
If these sodium reduction policies are fully implemented, the report estimates that 7 million lives could be saved globally by 2030 and deaths from NCDs could be effectively reduced.
Previously, the British Medical Journal published a study that gave direct benefits of salt reduction through modelling predictions.
Studies point out that China's current per capita intake of 11 grams of salt per day. If the per capita daily intake of 10 grams of salt is achieved within 1 year, systolic blood pressure can be reduced by about 1.2 mm Hg on average, the risk of ischemic heart disease is reduced by 4%, and the risk of stroke is reduced by 6%; Reducing per capita daily salt intake to no more than 5 grams by 2030 could prevent 17 million cardiovascular events.
Eating too much salt affects the whole body
When salt intake is too high, the body may produce an immune cell that produces too many pro-inflammatory factors, which in turn causes an inflammatory response and causes a variety of diseases.
Hurts the heart
Excessive intake of sodium salt will increase the workload of the heart, increase blood pressure significantly, and in severe cases, it can lead to cardiac insufficiency, heart failure, etc., and may also cause a decrease in the elasticity of the heart vessels, an increase in the cholesterol content in the blood vessels, and an increased chance of coronary atherosclerosis.
Stomach injury
A statistical analysis of health data involving 27,000 people in mainland China found that high sodium intake was closely related to 16.6% of gastric cancer, and was the most important dietary risk factor for gastric cancer.
Hurts the brain
A Tsinghua University study found that consuming more than 5,593 mg of sodium (about 14 grams of salt) per day increased the risk of memory loss by 1.5 times.
Hurt the appearance
Eating too much salt can lead to heavy kidney burden, water metabolism disorders, dry skin, causing body edema, skin deterioration, dry hair and loss.
Wound immunity
Too much sodium can interfere with regulatory T cells and alter cellular metabolism, thereby disrupting immune function. Even a short-term, high-salt diet is not good for immunity.
Hurt blood sugar
According to a study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, an additional 2.5 grams of salt per day (7.5 grams per day) was associated with a 65% increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Wounded life
A Harvard University survey of 500,000 people found that those who ate salty had a 28 percent higher risk of premature death from all causes and reduced life expectancy by an average of 2 years compared to those who ate less salt.
8 tips to help you control salt effectively
In addition to salt, salty foods such as soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, bean paste, pickled foods, and processed meat products also contain a lot of sodium. In addition, salt may also be hidden in foods that you don't feel salty.
The following points can be effectively reduced in daily diet.
1
Be wary of "hidden" salt
There is a lot of "hidden" salt in foods such as instant noodles, hanging noodles, nuts, bread, biscuits, ice cream, etc. Pay attention to avoid such foods every day, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, etc.
2
Reduce the number of meals out eaten
A survey by the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention found that when eating out, a person's sodium intake per meal has exceeded the recommended intake throughout the day. Ordering takeaway is also easy to cause salt to exceed the standard, it is recommended to eat less.
When eating out, you can take the initiative to ask the restaurant to put less salt and try to choose low-salt dishes.
3
Add salt late while cooking
In addition to marinating meat, you need to put a little salt in advance, in other cases, you only need to add salt before leaving the pan. At this time, the salt has not penetrated deep into the food, and the salty taste can also be felt on the tongue.
4
Replace saltiness with other flavorings
For example, replace it with sour flavors such as vinegar, tomatoes, and lemon juice, or use natural foods with special flavors such as peppers, green onions, ginger, and garlic for seasoning.
5
Change the way you cook
Choose methods that can maintain the original taste of food, such as steaming, stewing, cold dressing, etc., and reduce the use of soy sauce, oyster sauce, bean paste, monosodium glutamate, chicken essence, salad dressing, tomato sauce and other condiments.
6
Use a salt-limiting spoon
One scoop is 2 grams, up to 2.5 scoops a day, and can be divided into three meals.
7
Eat one salt-free meal every week
Studies have found that eating a regular lunch or dinner without salt can help control sodium intake. The general population recommends eating 1~2 salt-free meals a week, and people who often eat out and have a heavy taste can eat 2~3 times a week.
8
Learn to read the nutrition facts table
Read nutrition labels when buying packaged foods, the sodium in nutrition labels represents salt, and 1 gram of sodium is equivalent to 2.54 grams of salt. Whenever possible, choose foods that are low in sodium or labeled "low-salt," "low-salt," or "salt-free." ▲
Editor of this issue: Yang Meng
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