- Excess salt causes many diseases as it raises blood pressure. So how can we reduce our salt intake?
Although the consumption of salt is quite necessary for bodily functions, its excessive consumption is very harmful as it destabilizes blood pressure.
Salt consumption in our country
Turkey is the country that consumes the most salt in the world. While the daily salt consumption in many countries is 9-12 grams per day, our salt consumption is around 18 grams per day. Hypertension is seen in approximately one third of the adult population in our country due to high salt consumption. Our average blood pressure level is also higher than in Japan, China, the UK and the USA. This situation reveals the fact that we immediately restrict our use of salt throughout the society.
- Let’s limit salt in our diet
Reducing salt in the diet not only lowers blood pressure, but also reduces the risk of new coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction and stroke. In addition to hypertension, the risk of stomach cancer and kidney disease decreases, bones are protected. Millions of dollars are saved in healthcare expenses. Currently, all countries are trying to reduce salt consumption.
While restricting salt in the diet, salt from all sources should be reduced. It is essential to reduce the salt used, especially during the processing of foods. Because 75-80% of the salt consumed in industrialized countries is obtained from processed, packaged and ready-to-eat foods. Salt added while cooking or eating is only 10%. The remainder is found naturally in foods. In Asian and African countries, the main source of salt is salt added during cooking or found in sauces and spices.
- How much salt?
The World Health Organization recommends that adults use less than 5 grams of salt (2 grams of sodium / day) per day to prevent chronic diseases. Some countries have determined the purpose of salt in their diets and have come a long way in this direction.
The most important sources of salt intake in our country are white cheese, pickles, olives, noodles, sunflower seeds, tomato paste and adding salt without tasting the food. However, bread also plays a big role in our salt consumption and we get more than our daily requirement with bread alone.
- How are we going to cut the salt?
It is very difficult to cut off salt suddenly. If it is reduced little by little, the sense of taste will get used to it in a few weeks. It is very valuable for everyone’s health to reduce the salt in their diet as much as possible. For this reason, do not add salt while cooking your food.
- Ask for your meal to be prepared without salt at the restaurant. Just as you want your coffee plain, ask for your meal without salt.
- Remove the salt shaker from the table. For flavor, use mint, parsley, dill, various spices, red ground pepper.
- Lemon and vinegar generally do not look like salt.
- The salt content of sausage, bacon, salami is higher than ordinary meat, and consume as little as possible.
- Know that ready-made sauces such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, soy sauce and some spices are salty. Don’t buy ready made sauce, make your own sauce.
- Make it a habit to look at the content of the work you will buy in your grocery shopping. Because many foods that do not taste salty are actually salt reservoirs…
- Pay attention to whether the value on the label is salt or sodium. If the cost of sodium is given, you can find the cost of salt by multiplying it by 2.5.
- Salt contents of different brands can be very different from each other in a one-to-one work. Control them all and choose the less salty one just like the food.
- Prefer vegetables and fruits especially since their salt content is low.
- Eat chips for snacking, fruit instead of nuts.
- Make sure you take in a little less salt each day.
Healthy Days
