(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Love sprinkling salt on your food? Pay attention
to how much you pour. Some doctors say salt may be one of our biggest health
enemies.
High sodium diets have been linked to high blood pressure, vascular and
cardiac damage, stomach cancer, osteoporosis and more. Of the one billion
adults globally with high blood pressure, between 17 and 30 percent are
associated with high sodium levels. “Wide reduction in sodium intake could
prevent a large proportion of cardiovascular events in both normotensive and
hypertensive populations,” Dr. Kevin Willis from the Canadian Stroke network
and coauthor was quoted as saying.
Experts say a high sodium intake is a public health priority, calling for
both government and personal action. The average Canadian’s intake is more
than double recommended levels. Eighty percent of the sodium in developed
countries is from processed foods. Some experts call for governmental
control of the food industry. More immediate and desirable would be the
public’s voluntary action.
The national public health policy should concentrate on reformulating
processed foods, according to study authors. Consumer ought to be well
educated, and be provided with clear food labels, according to the experts.
SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2009
