The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised worries about the illnesses brought on by consuming too much salt, warning that millions of people could perish if governments do nothing to raise public awareness and regulate the sodium content of food.
According to a report in the Washington Post, eating foods high in salt represent the greatest risk to human health and are responsible for 1.8 million deaths annually around the world.
According to Francesco Branca, head of the WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, cardiovascular disease and strokes, which claim the lives of 17.9 million and 5 million people worldwide, are also associated with salty foods.
Governments can lower these figures by enacting stringent rules on the amount of salt allowed in food, according to Branca.
“This is really something that doesn’t cost money to anybody. It’s a simple intervention, but it’s incredibly effective”, the health expert was quoted as saying.
Individuals use more salt than what is advised, which is 10.8 grammes per day according to the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They advise consuming no more than one teaspoon of salt every day.
According to Graham MacGregor, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, sodium causes blood vessels to harden and high intake raises blood pressure along with other health issues.
Despite being contradicted by other research, the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have all encouraged consumers to cut back on their intake.
After governments failed to fulfil their 30% reduction goal by 2013, WHO is looking into alternatives to extend the goal to 2030. Only 5% of the WHO’s members have taken action, according to an assessment on the subject.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), processed or packaged foods account for 70% of all salt consumption.
“You expect a certain amount of salt, and you think that if you don’t have that much salt, the food is tasteless. Manufacturers don’t want to take the initiative to reduce sodium if there’s a competitor that has a higher content of salt,” Branca was quoted as saying.
Barnca believed that as salt is reduced, taste buds start to adjust and the food tastes better.
