Call to Food Industry for Faster Salt Reduction

UK adults currently consume an average of 8.6g of salt a day, in comparison to the recommended 6g a day. Experts believe 20,000 lives a year could be saved by reaching the recommended level.

It is said that there have been considerable cuts in the salt levels in bread, breakfast cereals and soup, but since bread and breakfast cereals are still high in salt, they must have been extremely high before. Processed foods account for about 75% of the salt intake of most people. The target set for 2012 is for a salt cut of nearly 10% in bread, more than a fifth in baked beans and 25% in burgers. In my opinion this does not go far enough.

Alex Callaghan, policy officer at the British Heart Foundation, said candidly that we are still moving at a snail's pace.

Salt intake is a contributory factor in the development of many chronic health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, most cancers, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, brittle bones, vascular dementia, kidney and liver damage, and, you may be surprised to learn, obesity. Yes indeed, if you are overweight you can easily, rapidly and safely lose some of your excess weight by cutting down on salt. As well as losing weight you will benefit your health in a host of other ways and you will feel much better, have more energy and sleep better. Why not try it?

Reference

Margaret Wilde http://www.wildeaboutsteroids.co.uk/sodium_foods.html