WHO Tweeted About Top 3 Tips To Cut Down Salt

According to the World Health Organisation, the increasing production of more and more processed food, rapid urbanization, and changing lifestyles are transforming dietary patterns. Highly processed foods are increasing in availability and becoming more affordable. People around the world are consuming more energy-dense foods that are high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugars, and salt.

Salt is the primary source of sodium and increased consumption of sodium is associated with hypertension and increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

• At the same time, as their eating patterns shift, people are consuming fewer fruits and vegetables and less dietary fibre (such as whole grains), which are key components of a healthy diet.
• Fruits and vegetables contain potassium, which contributes to reducing blood pressure.
• Salt in the diet can come from processed foods, either because they are particularly high in salt (such as ready meals, processed meat, cheese, salty snack foods, and instant noodles, among others) or because they are consumed frequently in large amounts (such as bread and processed cereal products).
• Salt is also added to food during cooking (bouillon and stock cubes) or at the table (soy sauce, fish sauce and table salt).

WHO Tweeted About Top 3 Tips To Cut Down Salt:

• Flavor Your Food With Herbs And Spices Instead Of Salt- this can seem like a task to replace salt with other herbs or spices, but once you get into the habit it will surely reduce your salt intake to a large extent. You can use turmeric powder (haldi), ginger, garlic, lemon zest, or dried onion powder.
• Limit Processed Foods- as said earlier, processed foods contain a high amount of sodium that can cause diseases in the long run. Eat fresh and home-cooked food most of the time.
• Watch Out For Hidden ‘Sodium’ (salt) In Processed Foods- the manufacturers often put a lot of sodium to increase the shelf life and maintain the taste, which too may not be visible in the content. So, when buying processed foods, check for the amount of salt in them and any hidden sodium that may also be added like in the case of canned juices, cheese, sauces, etc.

Over To You:

Salt is a major part of our diet, but we must be careful with the intake and usage. Follow these tips and cut down on salt as much as possible for health and longevity.