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Salt kills

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SALT is responsible for more than one in seven deaths from heart attacks and strokes, research has revealed.

At least 2.3 million heart-related deaths around the world were caused by excess salt in 2010 – 15 per cent of the total for that year.

Nearly one million of those who died were under 70 – meaning salty diets are killing many people in their prime.

Men are most likely to die from salt-related heart conditions, as they comprise 60 per cent of the deaths.

Lead researcher Dr Dariush Mozaffarian, of Harvard Med­ical School in the US, called for governments around the world to encourage people to cut down on salt.

He said: “It could potentially save millions of lives.”

Yesterday experts warned diners to watch out for salt in restaurant food, takeaways and ready meals as well as avoiding adding salt at the table.

Victoria Taylor, senior heart health dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We know that eating too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. But you may not be aware of just how much salt is ending up on your plate.

“As well as steering clear of the salt shaker, we need to watch out for the salt that’s added to the foods we buy, or order in restaurants.

“Picking products with a green traffic light for salt will help you to limit your intake.”

Sea salt

Sea salt

Public health minister Anna Soubry last week announced plans to slash Britain’s salt consumption by a quarter. She wants more food companies to sign up to a “responsibility deal” to help cut the daily salt intake from an 8.1 grams a day average to 6g.

The number of people adding salt at the table fell by more than a quarter in the five years following a 2003 public health campaign urging people to cut down, a recent study revealed.


Salt use at the table accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of people’s total intake.

Previous research has shown that cutting back on salt and saturated fat in processed foods would save thousands of lives each year and save the NHS millions of pounds.

Heart and circulatory disease is the UK’s biggest killer, claiming 180,000 lives a year, but 80 per cent of premature heart disease is avoidable by changes to diet, stopping smoking and exercising.

A report by Birmingham University showed that cutting salt intake by just 0.1oz a day, or cutting trans fats – found in biscuits and cakes – by 0.7 per cent would save up to £30million a year.

The new US study, presented to the American Heart Assoc­iation’s conference in New Orleans, found that 84 per cent of the 2.3 million deaths were in low and middle-income countries.

The highest prop­ortion were in Ukraine and Russia, with the lowest rates in Qatar, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates.

Researchers analysed 247 surveys of adult sodium intake between 1990 and 2010, taking into account age, gender, region and country, to determine how the amount of sodium consumed was affecting people’s risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reduce your salt intake

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REDUCING the amount of salt we eat could save 25,000 lives a year, health experts said last night.

Deaths from heart disease and strokes would dramatically fall if shoppers checked the ingredients of everyday foods like bread and cereals.

Doctors blame the high levels of salt-laden processed foods we eat for pushing up blood pressure levels, raising the risk of heart disease.

They say most Britons have no idea how much salt they consume, or what the guideline amounts are.

The recommended maximum daily intake is six grams. But British Heart Foundation figures show average current consumption is 9.7g a day for men and 7.7g for women.

Cutting average salt intake by just one gram could save 6,000 lives and £1.5billion a year. If consumption fell by four grams, 25,000 lives a year could be saved. Put simply, the bigger the reduction in salt, the greater the reduction in blood pressure.

British health professionals decided to speak about the hidden dangers of salt after a shocking study blamed salt in processed foods for America’s out-of-control obesity crisis.

British GP Dr Ian Campbell said: “The same problems exist in the UK, with heart disease a well-recognised consequence of excessive salt. Greater awareness of the harm salt can do might help people choose to reduce their intake.

“Processed food is high in fat, sugar and salt. Food manufacturers have significantly reduced salt content, but it’s still too high.

“The average person has no idea of the quantities of salt in their diet – simply because they’re not adding it, the manufacturers are.

“People need to be aware the food we eat does affect our health directly. If you don’t know what’s in the food you are about to eat, ask.”

Salt

Salt

More than 80 per cent of the salt we consume is already in our food, rather than being added during cooking or before eating.

Millions will be shocked to learn that staples like bread, breakfast cereals, soup, ketchup, soy sauce, mustard, pickles and mayonnaise contain high levels of sodium.


Cardiovascular disease kills more Americans than any other illness. Half of these fatalities are related to high blood pressure.

Experts hope the American Heart Association-funded University of California study will help change unhealthy UK eating habits.

Salt is loved by manufacturers because it makes food palatable. But it promotes water retention, which increases blood volume and pressure. A Scandinavian study found men who reduced salt intake by 30 per cent lived seven years longer.

Nutritionist Dr Carina Norris said: “People should compare brands of ready meals because there are huge variations between products. Opt for low-salt brands.”

Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, added: “The majority of Britons consume more salt than they should.

“The Government has worked with the food industry to reduce the amount of salt in food and to make labels clearer. But there is still work to be done.”