Salt, A Sometimes Ignored Killer

Salt, A Sometimes Ignored Killer

Recent research showed that overusing salt may lead to a whopping 1.6 million heart related deaths around the globe each year. The study’s figures were obtained upon analysis of 205 surveys on sodium intake from countries that represent nearly three quarters of the world’s population.

To determine the effect of sodium on blood pressure scientists conducted a separate study made up of pooled trial data. According to the research, world average daily consumption in 2010 was around 3.9 grams, almost twice as much as the recommended dose by the World Health Organization. Researchers attributed 1.65 million deaths from cardiovascular disease worldwide as a direct consequence of high sodium intake.

Worldwide, the number one source of sodium, whether it is for cooking, flavoring or manufacturing food products is salt. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and showed sodium consumption levels all across the world. The U.S. had a daily intake of 3.6 grams of sodium. The lowest daily sodium intake was found in sub-Saharan Africa with 2.18 grams while the highest was in central Asia with 5.51 grams.

John Powles from Cambridge University who co-authored the study said that four out of five deaths attributed to increased sodium intake take place in low and medium intake countries. He added that a strong educational and informative campaign in these countries could potentially save millions of lives.

Posted by George Daniels on Sunday August 17 2014, 3:24 AM EDT. Ref: independent. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0