Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development and death of chronic non-communicable diseases such as stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. High-salt diet is one of the important risk factors for hypertension, and the dietary habits of Chinese residents lead to a significantly higher salt intake than that of Western countries. Influenced by traditional cooking and eating habits, the average daily salt intake per person in China is 12 grams for both urban and rural residents. If our daily salt intake increases by 1 gram per person, then our blood pressure will increase by 1 mmHg per person on average.
The prevalence of hypertension among our residents is higher in the north than in the south, and the average blood pressure in rural areas is higher than in cities. Salt intake is also higher in the north than in the south, and in rural areas than in cities. In addition to hypertension, high salt intake may also lead to overweight and obesity, diabetes, stomach cancer, osteoporosis, kidney stones, asthma and other health problems.
What are the benefits of salt reduction?
30% of hypertension cases are associated with sodium intake. A lower salt intake is better for health. The Indians in South America eat little salt and saturated fatty acids, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and exercise regularly, but despite their stressful lives, adults have low blood pressure levels, averaging only 96/61 mmHg. The Yi people in Liangshan, China, consume very little salt and have the lowest prevalence of hypertension in the country. Salt reduction is the cheapest way to lower blood pressure.
A number of developed countries have initiated national salt reduction initiatives, and a series of salt reduction measures have been taken in processed foods, food labeling, and public campaigns.
For example, in Finland, a series of salt reduction measures have been implemented since 1979: food companies have reduced the sodium content in food by using mineral salts with low sodium and high potassium and magnesium instead of traditional sodium salt. A law on the labeling of foods containing salt was introduced, stipulating that foods with high salt content must be labeled with the warning “High Salt Food”, while foods with low salt content can be labeled as low salt. Consumer health education; training for food workers on how to reduce salt; media campaigns. As a result of these efforts, the daily salt intake per capita in Finland was reduced from 14 grams in 1972 to less than 9 grams in 2002, the average diastolic blood pressure in the population dropped by 10 mmHg in the same period, and stroke mortality was reduced by 75-80 percent.
What is table salt?
The main component of table salt is sodium chloride (NaCl). Sodium has the function of regulating water and acid-base balance in the body. Therefore, a moderate intake of salt is necessary to maintain life activities. For thousands of years, salt has played a great role in preserving and preserving food. However, with the development of refrigerators and other preserving technologies, this role of salt has been gradually replaced. Currently, what is closely related to people’s lives is the role of salt in seasoning in cooking – “salt is the first of all flavors”.
How much salt do you need?
Under normal circumstances, the human body requires less than 1 gram of salt, and excess sodium is excreted in the urine. In our daily life, the food we consume itself contains about 1 gram of sodium salt, which can meet our physiological needs even if we do not add extra. Most studies suggest that the ideal salt intake is 1.5-2.3 g/day, but this is difficult to achieve. For some physical work and other sodium losses and feasibility, the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents recommend a salt intake of no more than 6 grams per person per day.
How to reduce salt intake?
For cardiovascular patients, a “light diet” is recommended. In the past, emphasis was often placed on minimizing the consumption of oily foods, such as various red meats and fried foods, but another important aspect of a light diet is to minimize the use of salt and MSG, in other words, to reduce the intake of sodium. In daily cooking, pay attention to the taste of lighter, heavy taste naturally eat more salt, the first taste down, gradually control the daily consumption of salt 6g, you can also use salt substitutes or other condiments to improve the taste. Heavy-colored food, such as marinated products are the most likely to “lurk” “high salt”, cooking as little as possible to put soy sauce, so that the dishes are lighter. In addition, potatoes, pumpkins, bananas and other yellow fruits and vegetables are rich in potassium, often eat these foods can also help lower blood pressure.
In addition to salt added to cooking, many processed foods and condiments may also contain large amounts of sodium, and one must be alert to these invisible sodium salts (invisible sodium salts). For example, one salted duck egg contains 3.5 grams of salt, a packet of instant noodles contains 5 grams of salt, and soy sauce contains 1.5 grams of salt per 10 milliliters. Bean paste contains 1.5 grams of salt per 10 grams. Soy sauce contains 1.7 grams of salt per 10 grams. MSG contains 2 grams of salt per 10 grams.
Since dietary habits are a tradition inherited from many years, salt reduction is a gradual process that needs to be adhered to over time.
Salt reduction tips
Put less salt in your cooking: Gradually, try to reduce it by half
Put less soy sauce: soy sauce contains about 1.5 grams of salt per 10 ml
Put less MSG: MSG is not salty, but it contains 82 mg of sodium per gram, which is equivalent to 0.2 grams of table salt.
Use vinegar, chili pepper, pepper, onion, ginger, garlic and other seasonings and vegetables with strong flavor to enhance the taste
Put salt before serving: a small amount of salt can give a distinct salty taste; put salt before eating cold dishes
Use salt-limiting tools: Salt-limiting shakers and salt-limiting spoons can help reduce the amount of salt used, so use 2 or 3 gram salt spoons.
Use low-sodium salt: Be careful not to use more sodium chloride because of its low content
Minimize foods high in salt: such as various types of pickles, cured meats, ham, etc. Packaged foods can be referred to their food composition list.
Pick foods that contain less sodium
Eat less salt-containing snacks and more fresh fruits and vegetables