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Throw away your salt shaker

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Do you have a habit of adding salt to your food before even tasting it? Is your salt shaker always within arm’s reach? Well, you are not alone. In South Africa, up to 40% of our daily salt intake comes from the salt we add to our meals. This is far higher than the average of 15% in the UK and Europe.

The World Health Organisation recommends an intake of only 5g (one teaspoon) of salt per day, however some South Africans consume up to 40g of salt (or eight times the recommended daily allowance) a day.

So why does it matter how much salt we eat? Why is everyone always preaching about salt? The answer is simple: a diet high in salt raises your blood pressure; and high blood pressure (hypertension) can trigger cardiovascular disease, including strokes, heart attacks and heart failure. Hypertension can also cause kidney failure, blindness and even dementia.

Furthermore, hypertension does not discriminate – it affects everyone, no matter your age, sex, race or income group. In fact, stats have shown that one in every three South Africans suffers from hypertension. These numbers are likely to be even higher, as high blood pressure is a silent disease that shows no early symptoms.

One of the easiest ways to make sure that you don’t become a statistic; is by gradually lowering your salt intake. Research has shown that a reduction of only 2g (a quarter teaspoon) of salt per day can reduce cardiovascular deaths by 20%. Be more creative in the kitchen and flavour your foods with herbs and spices.

You should also be aware of all the hidden salt in processed foods such as soy sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, processed meats (bacon, ham, sausages, viennas, polony, salami), cheeses, pickled foods, bread and cereals, ready-made meals, two-minute noodles, soup powder, stock cubes and jelly.

Read all food labels. Just because something doesn’t taste salty, it does not mean it is low in salt. Even sweet foods can contain salt because it acts as a preservative that prolongs shelf life. So how do you know if it’s too high in salt? Salt is listed on food labels as sodium. Foods with less than 120mg per 100 grams are low in salt, while foods with more than 500mg are high in salt.

Earlier this year (18 March 2013), the government passed legislation to make salt reduction in the food industry mandatory. This will be a gradual process with specific targets that have to be reached by food manufacturers over the next number of years. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has also launched a lobby group called Salt Watch, to alert South Africans to the fact that too much salt could be killing them.

However, the first step always begins at home. Start reducing your salt intake today and help spread the news that too much salt can kill.

Cutting your daily salt intake can add years to your life!

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