Salt is essential to good health. It helps the body stay hydrated and plays a role in blood pressure. But, the American Heart Association (AHA) says, 90 percent of Americans are eating too much salt. That can cause kidney problems, cognitive issues and heart health concerns. Processed foods contain a lot of salt, and 75 percent of calories eaten in America come from pre-made foods.
"One of the things I advise my patients about is to shop as much as they can on the periphery of the grocery store. That’s generally where fresh foods are," said Dr. Daniel Jones, of the AHA. "I tell my patients to eat foods with peels, not packages, to lower their overall intake of sodium."
In France, slight decreases in salt in bread can lead to cutting 0.35 grams of salt out of an adult’s daily intake. That, in turn, can lower blood pressure and prevent 1,100 deaths. In the UK, similar cuts in salt levels in packaged foods can lower intake by 17.5 percent. Over 20 years, that could prevent 100,000 cases of heart disease and 25,000 strokes.
These two studies show that when a coordinated effort happens from regulators, the food industry and public health initiatives, big changes can occur. Creating and enforcing sodium reduction plans globally could vastly improve heart health.
“This approach is particularly powerful because it does not rely on individual behavior change, which is often difficult to achieve and sustain. Instead, it creates a healthier food environment by default,” said Dr. Clémence Grave, lead author of the French study at the French National Public Health Agency.
An important thing to note was that the salt reduction was subtle. It didn’t change the taste of the food or make it less palatable.
“This salt-reduction measure went completely unnoticed by the French population—no one realized that bread contained less salt,” said Dr. Grave. “Our findings show that reformulating food products, even with small, invisible changes, can have a significant impact on public health.”
“These results highlight the need for collaboration between policymakers, industry and health care professionals,” said Dr. Grave. “By combining individual counseling with population-level strategies, we can achieve greater reductions in cardiovascular risk and improve long-term health.”
