World Health Day: Can’t give up the taste? “Sodium” is not a good idea! If you like strong flavors, you should reduce the amount of salt!

What are the difficulties in reducing salt intake? A recent consumer survey shows that "difficulty in giving up taste" is an important factor. Food nutrition experts suggest that the initiative of salt control is in everyone's hands, and those who have a strong taste for salt should pay more attention to eating less salt.

April 7 is World Health Day. The National Health Commission has set the theme of China's publicity as "Everyone enjoys health and promotes health together". Reducing salt (sodium) intake is a simple and effective way to prevent hypertension and cardiovascular diseases and promote health. The "Report on the Nutrition and Chronic Disease Status of Chinese Residents (2020)" shows that the average daily cooking salt consumption in my country is 9.3 grams, which is much higher than the recommended daily salt intake of no more than 5 grams for adults.

01 The most difficult taste to give up

Data from the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center shows that nearly 70% of respondents believe that reducing salt has a high health significance, and more than 60% of respondents believe that they need to reduce salt. However, salt is the most important flavor, and more than 50% of respondents said that the biggest obstacle to reducing salt is the difficulty in giving up the taste. Zhong Kai, director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, said that many consumers think that food tastes worse without salt, but in fact, taste buds are not that sensitive to saltiness. Consumer tests have shown that reducing salt by 5% to 10% will not have a significant impact on saltiness.

Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that the initiative of salt control is in everyone's hands. When sprinkling salt and chicken essence, you can shake less, and when pouring soy sauce, you can add a few drops. With such an active control consciousness, salt-limiting spoons and salt-reducing seasonings can play their due role. At the same time, the elderly's taste perception degenerates and they are not sensitive to saltiness, so they need to pay more attention to reducing salt. Faced with the difficulty of adjusting the "heavy" taste, experts also said that if you want to reduce salt without reducing saltiness, there is a convenient way at this stage to use low-sodium salt-under the same saltiness, low-sodium salt reduces sodium by 20% to 35% compared to traditional table salt. However, a small number of people who are not suitable for high potassium intake, such as patients with kidney disease, need to consult professional doctors.

02 "High salt content" is harmful to health! 6 salt reduction tips to remember

The main component of salt is sodium chloride. As an important cause of high blood pressure, high sodium intake will increase the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and death, and increase the risk of death from stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease. Remember these 6 salt reduction tips.

03 The right amount of saltiness for a healthy life

The importance of salt is beyond doubt. We should not overeat because of its importance, nor should we stop eating because of the harm caused by excessive intake. If we want to ensure a normal and healthy life, we must learn to consume salt in moderation.

Most of the residents in my country consume about 10 grams of salt. Spicy noodles, biscuits, fried chicken, bacon, instant noodles, etc. that we usually eat all have high salt content. We should also pay attention to our health when enjoying delicious food.

According to Reuters, high blood pressure and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are all related to a high-salt diet. Given my country's national conditions, most people need to reduce their salt intake. Of course, it depends on the specific situation. If you are really worried about the amount of salt you consume, you can consult a doctor for advice.

Comprehensive sources: People's Daily Online, Xinhua News Agency, Beijing Science Center, etc.