Sodium Reduction
• Sodium is an essential nutrient necessary for maintenance of plasma volume, acid-base balance, transmission of nerve impulses and normal cell function.
• Sodium deficiency is extremely unlikely in healthy individuals.
• Excess sodium is linked to adverse health outcomes, including increased blood pressure.
• The primary contributors to dietary sodium consumption depend on the cultural context and dietary habits of a population.
• Sodium is found naturally in a variety of foods, such as milk, meat and shellfish. It is often found in high amounts in processed foods such as breads, processed meat and snack foods, as well as in condiments (e.g., soy and fish sauce).
• Sodium is also contained in sodium glutamate, used as a food additive in many parts of the world.
Key facts
• Almost all populations are consuming too much sodium.
• The global mean intake of adults is 4310 mg/day sodium (equivalent to 10.78 g/day salt) (1). This is more than double the World Health Organization recommendation for adults of less than 2000 mg/day sodium (equivalent to < 5 g/day salt).
• The primary health effect associated with diets high in sodium is raised blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, gastric cancer, obesity, osteoporosis, Meniere’s disease, and kidney disease.
• An estimated 1.89 million deaths each year are associated with consuming too much sodium
How can you reduce your sodium intake?
• eat mostly fresh, minimally processed foods
• choose low-sodium products (less than 120mg/100g sodium)
• cook with little or no added sodium/salt
• use herbs and spices to flavour food, rather than salt
• limit the use of commercial sauces, dressings and instant products
• limit the consumption of processed foods
• remove the saltshaker/container from the table.
Recommendations for salt reduction
• For adults, WHO recommends less than 2000 mg/day of sodium (equivalent to less than 5 g/day salt (just under a teaspoon).
• For children aged 2–15 years, WHO recommends adjusting the adult dose downward based on their energy requirements. This recommendation for children does not address the period of exclusive breastfeeding (0–6 months) or complementary feeding with continued breastfeeding (6–24 months).
• All salt that is consumed should be iodized (fortified with iodine), which is essential for healthy brain development in the foetus and young child and optimizing people’s mental function in general.
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/salt-reduction#:~:text=....
