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Salt, the "first of all flavors", is not only an important seasoning in cooking, but also plays a key role in the regulation of human digestion and physiological activities. However, what is surprising is that salt can also become an "invisible killer" that quietly endangers health.
Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality Data in China //
According to the "China Cardiovascular Health and Disease Report" released by the National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases of China, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases in mainland China ranks first, with the number of cardiovascular diseases reaching 330 million. Among them, the number of hypertensive patients is particularly large, and the prevalence of hypertension in adults has climbed to 27.5%, with an estimated 245 million people.
More than 550,000 people die of sudden cardiac causes in mainland China every year, and hypertension is one of the important causes of cardiovascular diseases and deaths. High blood pressure can lead to health problems such as heart muscle hypertrophy, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, which are all important causes of sudden death.
Long-term high-salt diet is one of the "culprits" of many diseases such as high blood pressure and even some cancers. Why does "mouth weight" cause so much harm to our health? In addition to high blood pressure, what other diseases can a long-term high-salt diet cause? What are some tips in life that can help us eat less salt? What are the "invisible salts" that we have overlooked?
1. Why is it said that high salt = high blood pressure? What are the health hazards of a high-salt diet?
The etiology of hypertension is complex, including the combined effects of various factors such as genetics, environment, lifestyle habits, medications, long-term mental stress, and other diseases. A high-salt diet is one of the important factors that lead to high blood pressure in poor lifestyle habits.
This is because the main component of salt is sodium chloride, which is an important substance for maintaining the normal physiological functions of the human body. However, when the body consumes too much salt, the concentration of sodium ions in the blood increases, which can lead to sodium and water retention and thus increase blood pressure. (Sodium and water retention is characterized by excessive accumulation of water and sodium salts in the body, leading to symptoms such as weight gain, edema, and interstitial effusion.) )
Mild hypertension can lead to dizziness, headache, insomnia and other problems, and if it is severe or poorly managed for a long time, it will easily lead to a series of serious diseases such as stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure, kidney failure, etc., and will greatly increase the risk of sudden death.
In addition to high blood pressure, eating too much salt may also lead to kidney function and stomach damage, affect calcium absorption and other health problems, and in severe cases, lead to stomach cancer, osteoporosis, obesity, asthma, kidney disease and other diseases. Therefore, salt reduction is the most cost-effective intervention to reduce the risk of diseases such as hypertension.
2. How to eat salt correctly?
According to the Report on the Status of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases in China, the per capita daily cooking salt consumption of mainland residents is as high as 9.3 grams, much higher than the 5 grams recommended by the World Health Organization. Moreover, there is still the problem of "high sodium and low potassium" in the diet of mainland residents, that is, the ratio of sodium to potassium is greater than 5:1, which is also one of the important factors leading to hypertension and other diseases. Therefore, the importance of salt reduction should be recognized as early as possible and measures should be taken to reduce salt intake.
Tips for salt control and good habits
▲ Use less pickled and processed ingredients, such as salted fish, cured meat, pickles, etc., and try to use fresh food for cooking.
▲ When cooking, use graduated salt limit spoons, salt limit jars and other tools.
▲ Use natural spices to replace or reduce the use of salty condiments with the natural umami of ingredients.
▲ Put salt before cooking, and reduce the habit of drinking, dipping, or using vegetable soup for bibimbap. Studies have shown that the residual sodium in vegetable soup accounts for about 30% of the total sodium content of dishes.
▲ With vegetables with simple cooking methods, such as boiling, stir-frying, steaming, etc.
▲ The dishes in restaurants usually contain more salt, and when dining out, we can take the initiative to ask the restaurant to put less salt or choose small portions. Minimize the number of times you eat out or order takeout.
— Beware of the "Invisible Salt"
Some convenience foods and snacks don't taste salty, but they actually contain more sodium, which is salt. Therefore, when buying packaged food, you must pay attention to the ingredient list on the package, try to choose foods with low sodium content, learn to read nutrition labels, and be wary of "hidden salt".
Finally, a reminder that a high-salt diet is one of the important factors that lead to diseases such as high blood pressure. For the sake of our own health and that of our families, and to reduce the risk of disease, let's take action now to reduce salt for our health!
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