Transcript Health Inequalities Research Programme

Public presentation (June 2013)
Reducing salt in the diet to
protect health: Easy and
effective
Associate Professor Nick Wilson
Department of Public Health
University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand
[email protected]
uow.otago.ac.nz/BODE3-info.html
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Contents
Why salt is an important health problem?
What can be done – at a personal level?
What can be done by government – and is it
a good use of government funds?
Salt vs sodium
Salt is sodium chloride (NaCl)
Sodium is an element which occurs
naturally and is used by the body
1g of sodium = 2.5g of salt
(1 teaspoon = 6g)
Salt: Historically important
Once critical for
food preservation –
but we now have
fridges, freezers
and canning
Image: Carlos Porto / freedigitalimages.net
Too much salt in the diet
Raises blood pressure  increased risk of
heart attacks and stroke
Possibly around a third of heart disease could
be prevented if the salt risk factor was
eliminated
Not just heart attacks & strokes:
Stomach
Cancer
Osteoporosis
Kidney
Disease
Charity Registration No. 1098818
Too much salt in the diet
Major study “Global Burden of Disease 2010”
ranked the risk factor “diet too high in salt” as
11th most important risk factor for health loss
globally
In NZ – also ranked 11th (ahead of diet low in
fibre, diet low in vegetables, diet high in red
meat)
How much for adults?
• NZ/Australia recommendations:
<2300 mg day sodium (just
under 6 g of salt)
• That’s just one teaspoon’s
worth!
• But 80% or more is hidden in
processed foods (not added at
the table or cooking)
Top sources in NZ
Nutrition survey data
• Bread
• Processed meats
• Sauces
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Personal action
• Beware of excuses: “but my blood
pressure is okay” – as salt makes
BP rise with age
• Focus on reducing the big 3: bread,
processed meat, sauces
• Minimise in cooking (phasing down
& you may not notice)
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Simple swaps
Swap:
Ham or cheese
sandwich
Crisps
Biscuits
For:
Egg or
tuna sandwich
Plain
popcorn
Dried
Fruit
Eat more fruit & vegetables –
the potassium reduces the risk of stroke
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Societal level action
• Successful campaigns in the UK,
Japan & especially Finland
• NZ – some progress by bread
manufacturers (with Heart
Foundation) but salt levels still fairly
high
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Societal level action needed
• Upper limits on salt in bread,
processed meats, sauces
• Better labelling – is coming
• Could consider junk food taxes
(help with obesity as well)?
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Improved food labels
Simpler, easier to understand eg,:
Good use of government resources?
• Yes – 13 international studies all
indicate this (esp. laws on upper
limits); 8 studies: costs saved.
• Health system savings – fewer
heart attacks and strokes
• Consumer acceptability – don’t
notice a 10%/year reduction
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Rationale for government role
• Society expects safe food
(government bans bacterial
contamination of food)
• The taxpayer-funded health system
pays for the heart attacks and
strokes
• Economic cost to society when
workers die of heart attacks
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Conclusions
• Excess dietary salt – an important
problem (rank=11th)
• Easy options for personal action
• Government action makes sense
eg, upper limits & better labelling
• This would improve health &
probably save health dollars
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Acknowledgements
Thanks to Heather Kizito, Stroke Foundation
Some online materials from “Consensus
Action on Salt & Health” (UK)
Email: [email protected]
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