The World Health
Organisation recommends the general public to not consume more than 2 grams of
sodium per day or more than 5 grams of salt or table salt.
The salt that is used
to prepare our meals and the one that it is present in industrial foods should
be included within the 5 grams (teaspoon) that we ingest daily.
There is also a
chemical element called sodium that is part of the components present within
common salt. This mineral participates in the regulation of blood pressure
however, if taken excessively it can lead to it elevating
WHY DOES THE WORLD
HEALTH ORGANISATION RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE SHOULD REDUCE THE INGESTION OF
SODIUM?
According to the World
Health Organisation, more than 30% of registered deaths worldwide are due to a
cardiovascular pathology. Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the
most important risk factors that can trigger a heart attack or an ictus.
Sodium can be found in
small quantities in a number of natural foods that we should not discount from
our daily diet however, there are other foods that we should avoid if they have
high levels of it. The foods that we should avoid include cured products,
frozen foods, pickled foods, processed foods, salsas, salty snacks, etc.
The World Health
Organisation concludes its recommendation by stating that all health services
should aim to reduce the ingestion of sodium and increase the ingestion of
potassium through eating foods rich in this mineral such as: avocados, spinach,
bananas, oranges, nuts, wholemeal cereals, peppers, legumes, fish, etc.
In conclusion,
maintaining a healthy diet rich in meat, fish, milk, eggs, fruits and
vegetables, etc. and low in added salt, will help us to maintain a normal blood
pressure and in turn, will present cardiovascular diseases.
