Reducing Salt Intake

What is the issue?

USA and 74 other countries have been advocating the lowering of salt intake

What is the problem with salt?

Salt added to our foods by processors and restaurants is the main source of sodium in our diets.
While some studies have concluded that only people with hypertension need to reduce salt intake.
But most experts have called for comprehensive reductions by all.
Excess sodium is responsible for most cases of hypertension in Western societies.
Hypertension is a leading risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure.

What is the science behind?

Both sodium & chloride which make up salt are essential nutrients for the body.
Our kidneys are fine-tuned machines for keeping blood levels of sodium within a physiologically healthy range.
When there’s too much sodium on board, the kidneys dump it into urine for excretion, and when more is needed, they reabsorb it.
Unfortunately, with a chronic excess of sodium to deal with, the kidneys can get worn out.
Sodium levels in the blood then rise along with water needed to dilute it, resulting in increased pressure on blood vessels (BP).

What standards has the US fixed?

The recommended daily intake for healthy American adults is 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day.
Currently, an average American consumes more than 3,400 milligrams a day.
Notably, even a lunch of soup and a sandwich from a restaurant can easily add up to a day’s worth of sodium.
It is estimated that an average reduction of just 400 milligrams of sodium a day could save 28,000 lives and $7 billion in health-care costs annually.
Notably, wherever there has been an intake reduction, a decline in the rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease is observed.

What are some voices of dissent?

There is resistance from the food and restaurant industries, which fear that consumers will reject a change in recipes.
Also, consumers are sometimes wary of low-sodium products, thinking that they will lack flavour.

Source: The Hindu