Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
People in Spain are being advised to reduce salt consumption to avoid health problems. They consume nearly double the recommended amount.
The World Health Organization, or WHO, set an objective 12 years ago of reducing the salt consumption in many countries by a third before 2025. But this goal has not been met.
The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition(AESAN) reports that people take an average 9.7 grams of sodium per day, compared to WHO’s guideline of 5 grams.
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Around 1.9 million deaths occur each year due to excessive salt consumption in food.
Dr. Daniel Villa, a nephrologist at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra said: “You have to be careful, because adding too much salt can have long-term consequences such as a stroke, a heart attack, stomach cancer, and hypertension”.
His colleague, nutritionist Isabel Higuera, added that ‘in Spain we have always used salt as a preservative’.
“Adding salt when cooking is seen as a sin but the biggest danger is in processed foods such as bread, cheese, sausages or ready meals,” she added.
The European Union is trying to reduce the amount of salt in products like bread or cheese.
Experts suggest practical measures to help consumers.
Daniel Vila adheres to the Mediterranean diet of Spain, which is rich with vegetables, legumes and fish.
Isabel Higuera said that reading the labels on products is important to selecting those with lower salt levels.
Read more Health News at The Olive Press by clicking here.
