High salt intake has been associated with various cardiovascular disease risk, such as heart attack and stroke. In fact according to a recent analysis, about 15 percent of deaths from heart disease in the world, is associated with the consumption of salt.
The researchers from the Global Burden of Diseases, Nutrition and Chronic Disease Group reported the results of his analysis in the American Heart Association's annual meeting on Thursday (22/3) yesterday, which states that the consumption of too much salt contributes to 2.3 million deaths from heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Researchers analyzed data from 247 surveys of adult sodium intake and investigate how sodium intake can affect blood pressure, risk of heart disease, and premature death associated with these health problems.
As the results of a study presented earlier this week about sugary drinks associated with 180,000 deaths globally each year, the data suggests the intake of salt is also an association and not a causal relationship.
"The relationship is based on an extrapolation of the effect of sodium on blood pressure, where there is a difference of up to one millimeter in a person's blood pressure who consumed more sodium than others that a diet low in sodium," said Steven Nissen, MD, a cardiologist from the Cleveland Clinic, involved in the study.
According to the American Heart Association, about three-quarters of the world's population consume more salt than twice the recommended daily amount of salt. A high intake of sodium is derived from food packaging, extra table salt and other condiments like ketchup that any average person consume nearly 4,000 mg of sodium a day.
U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends that a person only needs to consume 2,300 mg of sodium per day or less than 1,500 mg of sodium in adults over the age of 51 years or those with risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular problems.
More than 75 percent of high salt intake comes from packaged foods and fast food, and only 11 percent of it comes from the salt you add to food when cooking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as written by Everyday Health, Friday (22 / 3/2013).
Reduce consumption of packaged food or fast food, because the food is cooked in large quantities and of course added more salt anyway. It is better to cook your own food at home, in this way you can ensure yourself the amount of salt you consume in moderation.