Salt targets not likely to be met before 2024′
Millions of deaths could be prevented each year if individuals consumed 5g less salt per day. That’s the finding of a new review of research studies, which also calls for top-down regulations in addition to self-regulation by industry.
Eating less salt reduces the risk of stroke by almost a quarter and the chances of heart disease by 17 per cent.
On average, Britons eat almost 10g of salt a day, despite the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation being 5g – or one teaspoon.
Much of the salt is ‘hidden’ in processed and packet foods, with many people being unaware of their own intake.
Although the link between salt consumption and high blood pressure is well-established, researchers from the UK and Italy carried out a review of 13 studies to quantify the effect on health.
Professor Francesco Cappuccio, from the University of Warwick, who carried out the research, says:“It’s a small step but it’s significant in removing any doubt about the need to lower salt intake.
However, Professor Cappuccio went on to say that convincing the food industry to lower salt levels was a ‘slow process’, with targets for lowering salt intake not likely to be met before 2024.
The review involving more than 170,000 people found a direct link between salt and the risk of stroke or heart disease.
All the studies were carried out between 1996 and 2008 and involved more than 10,000 ‘vascular events’ such as heart attacks or strokes.
The overall review, published online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), found that people who regularly consumed 5g of salt a day too much had a 23 per cent greater risk of stroke.
They also had a 17 per cent greater chance of developing heart disease.
