Start Using Less Salt in the Diet from This World Hypertension Day

Celebrating the World Hypertension Day, health experts across the globe are advocating the use of less salt in food items to reduce the number of hypertension cases caused by intake of excessive salt. At least a third of hypertension cases across the world are caused due to intake of excessive salt while half the number of deaths caused by heart attacks and stroke are due to hypertension. Experts say that limiting the salt intake below the recommended levels suggested by the World Health Organization can go a long way in preventing a number of deaths caused due to high blood pressure.

The dangers of excessive intake of salt have been acknowledged by the governments with US, UK and Canada have set targets for at least 80 food items. However the number is far lower in Australia with just nine targets set.

Stating that more than seven million people die due to hypertension every year, Jacqui Webster wrote in her report, which has been published in the Journal of Hypertension, saying, “Salty diets increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and reducing population salt intakes is a highly cost effective strategy for reducing blood pressure levels with huge benefits for public health.”


Source-Medindia