Sodium
Sodium intake exceeding WHO standards is a deadly affair
Multipronged approach essential in preserving global health
A sodium-rich diet retains water in the bloodstream , causing blood volume to rise and elevating blood pressure .
High salt consumption is associated with the largest number of deaths related to eating habits worldwide , with about 1.89 million deaths every year , because it can raise blood pressure thus increasing the risk for heart disease , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) has revealed in the WHO Global Report on Sodium Intake Reduction , a first-of-its-kind study published in March 2023 .
The report says that the global community will not meet the WHO goal of a 30 percent reduction in salt intake by 2025 . The international health body recommends a daily dose of fewer than 2,000 milligrams , which is about one teaspoon . The current average daily consumption is over 4,000 milligrams , twice the recommended quantity . The WHO report also notes that , by the end of ���� , only five percent of the countries in the world had enforced at least two of the organisation ’ s mandatory sodium reduction policies , while 73 percent did not implement them widely . Non-observance of sodium reduction policies was most prevalent among low-income countries .
Health risks from high salt intake Salt consisting of sodium chloride has been widely applied as a food preservative due to its antibacterial properties in high concentrations . An essential nutrient , it regulates nerve impulses , enables muscle function , maintains the balance between water and minerals , and transports nutrients through the plasma membrane . However , excessive salt intake has been linked to an increased risk of heart complications , hypertension , and stroke .
A sodium-rich diet retains water in the bloodstream , causing blood volume to rise and elevating blood pressure . High blood pressure causes the heart to work more rigorously , leading to abnormal blood �ow that can affect surrounding organs and blood vessels . Uncontrolled blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack , stroke , and impaired kidney functions . “ We have one adult in four that has high blood pressure , and we have two million people dying every year as a result of consuming too much salt ,” Dr Francesco Branca , director of the WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development , said during a WHO podcast .
Researchers from the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans discovered that individuals who frequently consumed extra salt in their daily meals were 28 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who never or rarely added salt . The findings , published in the European Heart Journal , also indicated that adding excess salt to meals reduced life expectancy in men by more than two years and by 1.5 years in women .
Global consensus on sodium reduction Current WHO guidelines suggesting reductions in global sodium intake date back to 2011 when all 194 member states declared their commitment to reducing exposure to unhealthy diets . This was followed by various public health initiatives over the succeeding decade , including the United Nations ’ sustainability goals and action plans to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases ( NC�s ) by onethird .
Adoption of policies and actions to reduce sodium intake The report offers a comprehensive set of public health policies on a country level to achieve the WHO target in salt intake reduction , along with a Sodium Country Score Card that highlights a country ’ s sodium reduction implementation rate based on a score of 1 ( least implementations ) to 4 ( most implementations ). According to the report , only nine countries had comprehensive sodium-reduction policies : Bra�il , Chile , the Czech Republic , Lithuania , Malaysia , Mexico , Saudi Arabia , Spain , and Uruguay .
Public health policies to reduce soidum-rich foods are needed
50 ISSUE 6 | 2023 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com