Salt rules ‘dangerours to the elderly’
A ‘Salt and the Elderly’ forum is being held in Belgium to highlight the risk, particularly to the elderly, from a diet low in salt.
Hyponatraemia (low sodium level in the blood) is dangerous and the symptoms, which start with tiredness, difficulty in concentrating and a loss of balance can develop into confusion and even coma if left untreated.
It can arise as a result of body water decreases due to a loss of muscle tissue and
declining ability of the kidneys to reabsorb sodium.
The forum, held by EuSalt, the European Salt Producers’ Association, aims to target what they claim is a misassumption that the elderly should restrict their salt intake because of the risk of high blood pressure.