2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
In Bulgaria, the issue of salt intake is becoming more and more acute. Consumption of the product is twice as high as the upper limit for safe intake, set at 5 grams per day. On average, Bulgarians consume up to 10-14 grams per day, and in some regions of the country it reaches a record 18-20 grams.
This places us in the "honorable" second place in the world in terms of salt consumption. About a quarter of the world's people consume more than 15 grams of salt daily.
Bulgaria is among the countries in the European Union with the highest morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases. Over 2,500,000 Bulgarians over the age of 25 have elevated [blood pressure values].
It is responsible for 62% of strokes and 49% of ischemic heart disease. In fact, if salt intake is within the normal range of 5-6 g per day, the risk of high blood pressure decreases by 20%, the number of strokes decreases by about 24%, and ischemic heart disease - by 18%.
People from 10 to 60 years of age need 1.5 g / 3.75 g of salt per day. With younger children and older people outside this group, the need even decreases. The body actually needs sodium in it. It conducts nerve impulses.
The established maximum limit for safe intake, above which there is already a health risk, is 2 g of sodium / 5 grams of salt, which is equal to the amount in one teaspoon.
If you overdo it with salt, it can lead to extremely unhealthy consequences. The kidneys fail to excrete large amounts of sodium in the urine, as a result of which the level of sodium in the blood rises, binds with more water and increases blood volume.
Against this, blood pressure rises - a problem that leads to a number of others. Osteoporosis, kidney stones, stomach cancer, bronchial asthma are just a small part of them.
In order to avoid such consequences, we must limit salt intake. This is not easy, as about 75% of the salt we eat is found in processed products - canned food, sausages, cheeses, bread, all-purpose spices, sauces, etc.
About 10% of it is in the fresh products we consume. The remaining 15% is salt, which we add to food when cooking or eating. And it is precisely these last 15% that are most easily controlled.
It is very important to know that most salt, exceeding the required daily dose, is contained in the food of fast food restaurants.
When buying any products, be sure to look at the sodium content. To determine the salt content in them, multiply the sodium content by 2.5.
When you resort to limiting salt intake, it will take some time to get used to the new taste. Do not buy ready-made foods, semi-finished products, vacuum-packed and any sausages. Try to cook more often yourself so that you can control the amount of salt in your diet.
And let's not forget that there is a healthy alternative to table salt, namely Himalayan salt.
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