Of course we know that exercise and a healthy diet can reduce our risk of developing heart diseases or experiencing a stroke but did you know that it can be done as simply as reducing ingredients by a single gram?
Yes, according to a 2022 study published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health, reducing our intake of salt by just a gram can reduce our risk of heart and stroke related illnesses.
Looking at health data on adults in China, the study authors estimated that a reduction of just 1 gram in daily salt intake would be enough to prevent 9 million cases of stroke and heart attack between now and 2030.
Which is wild.
The World Health Organization recommends no more than 5g of salt a day
While the World Health Organization sets the recommended salt limit for adults to 5g, here in the UK, the average salt intake is 8.1g, according to UK Salt Reduction.
So, while the research was done on Chinese citizens, it’s clear that we need to change our approach to salt here, too.
According to the Stroke Association, stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK and 100,000 people have strokes each year. Currently, there are 1.3 million stroke survivors in the UK.
So, how do we reduce our salt intake?
Don’t worry, reducing your salt intake doesn’t mean having flavourless dinners and doing away with your trusty tub of table salt.
The heart and stroke experts at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland recommend taking the following steps to reduce your salt intake without compromising on flavour:
- Try herbs (fresh or dried), spices, black pepper, chilli, lemon or lime juice, balsamic vinegar, onion, or fresh garlic and ginger to add flavour
- Taste your food first – don’t automatically add salt at the table or in cooking
- If you have to add salt, sprinkle it onto your hand first so you can see how much is going into the food
- Cottage cheese or a sprinkling of parmesan is lower salt than regular cheese
- Try baking or roasting vegetables to bring out their flavour
They also advise that you are patient for 6-8 weeks as your body adjusts to a lower-salt diet.