Flavour enhancer or health risk? Consuming too much salt can lead to a host of health issues. Understand the impact and learn how to reduce your intake.
You should be flattered when someone refers to you as ‘salt of the earth’. This phrase describes someone honest and morally upright – qualities we all aspire to be. It is a metaphor rooted in salt’s historical value as a precious commodity. However, when it comes to actual salt in your diet, less is decidedly more.
While salt adds flavour to food, too much table salt — chemically known as sodium chloride (NaCl) — can lead to several health problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that excessive salt intake contributes to 1.89 million deaths annually.
Clinical Assistant Professor Moy Wai Lun, Senior Consultant, Department of Internal Medicine, Sengkang General Hospital, explains: “Prolonged high sodium intake can cause water retention and alter the functions of the kidney, heart, blood vessels, and central nervous systems. This can lead to high blood pressure (hypertension) and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke. On the other hand, reducing sodium intake can lower blood pressure and decrease the risk of cardiovascular diseases.”
Clin Asst Prof Moy adds that while the most well-known negative effect of high salt intake is raised blood pressure, growing evidence suggests that it can also lead to other health problems. These include stomach cancer, protein in the urine (proteinuria), kidney stones, osteoporosis, and Ménière’s disease. Some studies have even linked high-sodium diets to headaches and autoimmune diseases.
Sodium is an essential nutrient for proper cellular function and maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance. It plays a crucial role in muscle and nerve cell function, as well as the transport of nutrients throughout the body.
Sodium deficiency is rare in healthy individuals. It is estimated that we need less than 500mg of salt per day (just under a teaspoon) to keep our bodies working properly. However, there is no convincing evidence that extremely low sodium intake reduces cardiovascular risk and adverse outcomes.
Salt intake has been rising in Singapore, posing significant challenges to its population and healthcare system. According to the National Nutrition Survey of 2022, the daily sodium intake of the Singapore population increased from 3,480mg per day in 2019 to 3,620mg per day in 2022, far beyond of 2,000mg per day recommended by the WHO.
What is most alarming, highlights Clin Asst Prof Moy, is that nine out of 10 Singapore residents consume more than the WHO-advised daily recommended amount!
The prevalence of high blood pressure in Singapore has risen from 24% to 37% over the last five years. Also, one-third of the population has high cholesterol. Both conditions are significant risk factors for heart disease.
In order not to over-consume salt, you must recognise there are less obvious sources of sodium in one’s diet, beyond just table salt.
Here are tips:
“Many tend to equate saltiness with tastiness, but there is so much more to taste than just the level of seasoning,” says Clin Asst Prof Moy, while reminding people to consume less salt, sauces, and seasonings.
WHO aims to reduce global salt intake by 30% by 2025. To achieve this, it is encouraging food manufacturers to produce healthier, lower-salt foods while also increasing consumer awareness about the risks of high salt consumption and promoting healthier alternatives.
Singapore is also taking proactive steps. To allow consumers to tell how healthy certain food products are at one glance, Singapore is exploring introducing Nutri-Grade labelling for salt, sauces and seasonings (including soya sauce, chilli sauce and sambal), instant noodles, and cooking oil. Products will be graded A to D, with D being the least healthy choice due to having the highest sodium level and/or saturated fat. This follows the successful implementation of Nutri-Grade labelling in 2003 on pre-packaged and freshly prepared drinks to indicate sweetness levels, a system already familiar to many Singaporeans.
In addition, currently one in four sauces and seasonings being retailed in Singapore is lower in sodium. Moreover, nine sauce suppliers and three salt suppliers provide lower-sodium ingredients to around 800 eateries, with more expected to hop on the bandwagon.
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