Research shows we find it hard to shake salt habit

THE majority of people are consuming well over the recommended daily intake of salt, according to a report carried out by safefood.

The research, which is the most extensive of its kind on the adult Irish population, was carried out by a team at the University College Cork (UCC) and the Health Research Board Centre for Health & Diet Research.

It found that dietary salt intake remains unacceptably high, with 86% of men and 67% of women consuming salt at levels well in excess of the 6g per day target.

According to the study, the average salt intake was 9.3g per day – with higher rates in men at 10.4g per day than in women at 7.4g per day.

Safefood’s director of human health & nutrition, Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, said that high dietary salt intake can have serious health consequences and is strongly associated with high blood pressure and the pain and suffering related to stroke and cardiac disease.

“There is a misconception that salt intake is related to the salt added at the table but the majority of salt in the diet is ‘hidden’ in that it comes from processed foods. Efforts have been made by parts of the food industry to reduce salt levels, however Irish people are consuming higher quantities of foods with salt in their diet. I would advise that we need to choose lower salt options – less processed foods and meats and lower salt bread and breakfast cereals.The findings mean that consumers – especially men – need to cut down on their salt intake.”

Professor Ivan Perry, a leader of the research at UCC, added that the findings were proof that Irish people need to lower their salt intake dramatically to improve their health.

“We now have good scientific evidence that if we can work successfully with the food industry to reduce the amount of salt added to common food items, we have the potential to prevent hundreds of deaths from cardiovascular disease in Ireland each year.

“Effective salt reduction would also prevent an even larger number of non-fatal heart attacks and strokes in Ireland each year with substantial savings in terms of human suffering and health service costs.”

- www.safefood.eu

Sodium chloride facts

- Recommended maximum of 6g salt per day.

- Dietary salt intake remains unacceptably high – 86% of men and 67% of women consume salt at levels well in excess of the current 6g per day target.

- The study revealed that the average salt intake was 9.3 grams per day.