even more reasons to worry about salt

u do not have high blood pressure, check.
u are not overweight, check.
u exercise regularly, check.

give yourself a high-5, pat yourself on the back and therefore, u need not have to worry about salt, right?

well, think again.

one of the latest major studies, based on data from more than 12,000 american adults, took all the abovementioned factors (for death from heart disease) found that while a diet high in sodium - salt is the main source- increases your risk, even more important is the ratio of sodium (harmful) to potassium (protective) in a person's diet.

the study compared people whose meals contained little sodium relative to potassium to those whose diets had a high sodium-to-potassium ratio, the latter were nearly 50% more likely to die from any cause and more than twice as likely to die from ischaemic heart disease during a follow-up period averaging 14.8 years.

dr elena kuklina of the centres for disease control and prevention, the author of the study (published in the archives of internal medicine) said:

"we controlled all the major cardiovascular risk factors and still found an association between the sodium-potassium ratio and deaths from heart disease."

the average american consumes more than 3,400mg daily while the dietary guidelines for americans recommend a maximum of 2,300mg for people over age 2 but only 1,500mg for the 70% of adults at high risk of sodium-induced illness: people older than 50, blacks and those with hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

the report also pointed out that "population-wide reductions in sodium could prevent more than 100,000 deaths annually".

my comments:

according to our health promotion board, the daily recommended intake of salt is one teaspoon or 2,000mg per adult.

it has been estimated that 9 out of 10 singaporeans are consuming 2 teaspoons of salt which is twice the recommended daily intake probably because they may be unaware of the hidden sodium content in foods and most likely, due to the fact that many have outside meals where there is no control over the amount of salt in the meals consumed, unlike home-cooked meals.

most of us would probably point fingers at the salt content of potato chips, french fries or even instand noodles as the culprits leaving out the so-called healthy breakfast snack of cornflakes?

but one cup of cornflakes has about 270mg of sodium which is about the same as 20 potato chips, according to the vancouver food authority.

and the other ever present salt-laden item on the dining table is your humble soya sauce which is one of my favourite sauces to go with anything like noodles to stir fried dishes.

excessive consumption of salt on a daily basis can lead to serious health ailments like high blood pressure which in turn is linked to more serious problems like stroke and coronary heart disease.

therefore, for the sake of your own health and considerations on taking up wealth protection solutions which hinges on your insurability, do watch your salt intake, always eat in moderation and have at least 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegeatables each day.

medical disclaimer:

this blog entry is for information purposes only and it is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. readers should and must always consult their healthcare provider/s to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.