| Table salt consists of the elements sodium and | | | | volunteers, there were 11,000 "vascular events" |
| chloride, both of which are essential for life. There | | | | observed, including stroke and heart attacks |
| is a great deal of clinical research suggesting that | | | | (myocardial infarctions). When the incidence of |
| more than 5 to 6 grams of salt intake per day | | | | these vascular events was analyzed, along with |
| (which is equal to 2 to 2.4 grams of sodium) is | | | | dietary salt intake, the patients with the highest |
| associated with a significant increase in the risk of | | | | daily salt intake were observed to experience a |
| developing high blood pressure which, in turn, is | | | | 23 percent greater risk of stroke, and a 17 |
| associated with a significantly increased risk of | | | | percent greater risk of cardiovascular disease, |
| stroke and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, | | | | when compared to the adults who consumed less |
| in most countries, the average daily salt intake for | | | | salt on a daily basis. |
| adults is considerably greater than 6 grams per | | | | The increasing consumption of salt-rich processed |
| day. Moreover, in many countries of the world, | | | | foods throughout both the developed and |
| the average daily adult intake of salt is a | | | | underdeveloped countries of the world has been |
| whopping 12 grams per day, or almost 5 grams | | | | pushing daily salt intake to ever higher levels, with |
| of sodium per day. | | | | many Western countries reporting average daily |
| In the United States, the American Heart | | | | adult salt intake of nearly 10 grams per day. |
| Association (AHA) currently recommends no | | | | In other countries, and most notably in Asia and |
| more than 2.3 grams of sodium intake per day | | | | Eastern Europe, dietary practices that include a |
| (equivalent to 5 grams, or about one teaspoon, of | | | | high concentrationof heavily salted foods have |
| salt per day). At the same time, the AHA also | | | | pushed daily salt intake into the 10 to 12 gram per |
| states that the ideal daily intake of sodium should | | | | day range for the average adult. |
| actually be about 1.5 grams per day but, in an | | | | The World Heart Federation estimates that there |
| acknowledgment regarding the high intake of | | | | are 5.5 million annual deaths from stroke across |
| salt-rich processed foods in the United States, the | | | | the globe, and an additional 17.5 million annual |
| AHA considers the 2.3 gram per day dietary | | | | deaths from cardiovascular disease. Based upon |
| sodium target to be more "realistic" for | | | | the increased incidence of stroke and |
| Americans. | | | | cardiovascular disease predicted by this |
| There is considerable public health research data | | | | meta-analysis study, even a rather modest |
| suggesting that the reduction of average daily | | | | decrease in the average adult daily salt intake, to |
| adult salt intake, to 6 grams per day, or less, | | | | the World Health Organization's target of 5 grams |
| would result in a significant lowering of blood | | | | per day, should result in 1.25 million fewer deaths |
| pressure in both people with and without high | | | | per year from stroke and nearly 3 million fewer |
| blood pressure. Based upon these research | | | | annual deaths from cardiovascular disease around |
| findings, some public health experts have | | | | the world. Needless to say, this is a tremendous |
| predicted that lowering the average daily salt | | | | potential public health dividend from a rather |
| intake below 6 grams per day could reduce the | | | | simple alteration in our dietary habits. (On the |
| incidence of stroke by almost 25 percent, and the | | | | surface, reducing our daily salt intake would |
| incidence of cardiovascular disease by almost 20 | | | | appear to be a rather simple goal. However, the |
| percent. Unfortunately, there have not been any | | | | more complicated reality is that to achieve even |
| large-scale prospective, randomized, | | | | the World Health Organization's rather liberal target |
| placebo-controlled clinical research trials performed | | | | of 5 grams of salt per day, our entire food chain |
| to validate these estimates. On the other hand, | | | | would have to be comprehensively reexamined |
| there have been multiple short-term prospective | | | | and overhauled.) |
| public health trials that have followed groups | | | | The world's increasing consumption of |
| (cohorts) of patients in terms of their dietary | | | | highly-processed foods, which often contain high |
| intake of salt and the incidence of stroke and | | | | levels of salt as a preservative, are largely |
| cardiovascular disease events. | | | | responsible for the high levels of salt intake in the |
| Now, a newly published research study, in the | | | | developed world (in addition to a preference for |
| British Medical Journal, has performed a | | | | salt-cured foods in much of Asia and Eastern |
| meta-analysis of 13 of these "prospective cohort" | | | | Europe). In the United States, the sodium content |
| studies, encompassing a total of 177,025 patient | | | | of most processed foods is readily available on |
| volunteers, with average durations of patient | | | | food packages. Unfortunately, most restaurants in |
| follow-up ranging from 4 to 19 years. | | | | the United States have not been as forthcoming |
| (Meta-analysis is a method of combining the data | | | | about the sodium content of the food on their |
| from multiple different clinical studies into a single | | | | menus (as well as other important nutritional |
| "super-study," in an effort to improve the validity | | | | information), and so it continues to be very |
| of the resulting data, as well as the conclusions | | | | difficult to determine the actual salt content of |
| that are reached from such data.) | | | | much of what we eat here in the United States |
| Among these more than 177,000 patient | | | | and, indeed, throughout much of the world. |