World Salt Awareness Week

Did you know that around 130 heart attacks and 240 strokes occur daily in our country? In addition, an estimated 6.3 million South Africans live with high blood pressure, which makes them prime candidates for heart attacks and strokes. Most sobering of all these figures, however, is the fact that 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by making certain lifestyle changes.

The silent killer

We are all familiar with the notion that eating right and exercising can help improve your health but you may be unaware that decreasing your daily salt intake also has important health benefits. Many people are surprised to discover that 75% to 80% of the salt we eat is already in foods which make up a significant portion of our diet. In South Africa, bread is the greatest contributor to our total salt intake as our bread contains more salt than bread from other countries.

However, this is all about to change.  High salt intake is such a serious health issue that in March 2013, our Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, introduced legislation to make salt reduction in the food industry compulsory. Different products have been set different timelines allowing food producers to devise strategies to reduce sodium in their products. According to this legislation, food manufacturers will have until June 2016 to comply with the first set of guidelines. The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa also launched a new lobby group, Salt Watch, which aims to make people aware of the dangers of consuming too much salt.

Salt: the good news

Our bodies still need small amounts of salt to function properly, however. Salt influences the contraction and relaxation of muscles, helps transmit nerve impulses and helps maintain the right balance of fluids in our bodies. Adults need approximately one gram of salt per day and children need even less. The daily maximum intake of salt recommended by the World Health Organization is five grams (one teaspoon) but it is estimated that some South Africans are ingesting as much as 40 grams a day.

In order to reduce your daily salt consumption, you should pay special attention to the nutrition labels on food. If salt (also called sodium) is in the top few ingredients, then it is best to avoid that product as it means it is very high in salt. More than 1.5 grams per 100 grams means that that food is high in salt, whereas products which have less than 0.3 grams per 100 grams of salt are low in salt. If the salt figure is not given, look for the sodium figure and then multiply this by 2.5 to calculate the amount of salt in a certain food.

What foods should I avoid?

The following foods are usually high in salt:

• bacon
• cheese
• gravy
• olives
• ham
• salami
• prawns
• anchovies
• smoked meat and fish
• salt fish
• pickles
• salted and dry roasted nuts
• soy sauce
• stock cubes

Read the nutrition labels on the following foods carefully so you can choose the brands with the lowest salt content:

• bread and bread products
• breakfast cereals
• chips
• sandwiches
• sausages
• pasta sauces
• soup
• readymade meals
• pizza
• sauces

Tips to cut down on your salt intake:

• When shopping for food, know which foods and brands are high in salt by looking at nutritional labels and avoid buying these products;
• Avoid adding salt during cooking and try other flavours such as spices and herbs. Watch out for the ready mixed herbs and spices in the supermarkets, however, as they often contain high levels of salt;
• Gradually reduce the amount of salt you add while cooking and at the table over a few weeks. This will give your tastebuds time to adjust;
• Use unprocessed meat, fish and vegetables when cooking;
• When using stock cubes, choose those that are lower in salt, or consider using half a cube instead;
• Use tinned or frozen vegetables with no added salt;
• Steam vegetables to retain the colour and flavour and add a dash of lemon juice or vinegar;
• Mix fresh coriander, lemongrass and sesame oil to add flavour to stirfries instead of using soya sauce;
• Avoid adding too many sauces and salad dressings to food;
• Make your own salad dressing from balsamic, cider or rice vinegars.

Sources
Cooking at home: http://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/
SA takes groundbreaking action on salt: http://www.heartfoundation.co.za/
Salt - the facts:  www.nhs.uk
Salt - the slow, silent killer:   www.health24.com
Salt is killing South Africans and it is time to take action:  www.heartfoundation.co.za
Sodium: how to tame your salt habit:  www.mayoclinic.org
Why is salt bad for our health?:  www.actiononsalt.org.uk
World Salt Awareness Week - March 2012:  www.heartfoundation.co.za