The health impacts of dietary sodium and a low-salt diet

Abstract

High salt intake is now endemic worldwide. It contributes to the generation and maintenance of high blood pressure, which is now the biggest risk factor for global disease. There is now compelling evidence to support salt reduction in hypertensives and a substantial body of evidence to support salt reduction in the general population to reduce risk of death from cardiovascular disease. In specific diseases such as heart failure and chronic kidney disease, guidelines support the World Health Organization target for reduced salt intake at 5 g daily. Achieving a diet that is lower in salt has challenges, but is more likely to be achieved through salt reduction strategies particularly focused on processed food and through educational programs. To be effective, these interventions require collaboration between industry, health agencies and governments.

Dietary practices of children and adolescents with Down syndrome

“…In contrast to Soler and Xandri (2011) who reported a reduced sodium intake in DS individuals, our study reveals a high percentage of DS children and adolescents exceeding the recommended values (89.5%); this high percentage was also observed in controls (63.1%), denoting a similar trend and a concerning behaviour in both groups. For children with DS, the overlapping of increased incidence of cardiovascular disorders (Alexander et al, 2016) and the impact of dietary sodium supports this concern (Suckling and Swift, 2015). Thus, individually monitoring DS children and adolescents regarding this unhealthy habit and developing strategies to reduce salt intake to recommended levels is important.…”

Incorporation of suboptimal health status as a potential risk assessment for type II diabetes mellitus: a case-control study in a Ghanaian population

“…T2DM affects multiple organs in the human body and people with the disease have an elevated risk of blindness, cognitive decline, kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases, fractures, brain damage, depression and consequently, premature death [6][7][8][9][10][11]. Many of these complications may be averted or delayed with timely health education and intervention [10,[12][13][14][15]. Unfortunately, the majority of people, especially those residing in less healthcare-resourced and low-income developing countries such as Ghana are not aware of their risk status.…”

Health Beliefs Related to Salt-Restricted Diet and Associated Factors in Turkish Patients on Hemodialysis

“…The most common source of dietary sodium is salt (sodium chloride), and the human body is genetically programed to consume little salt (Kara, 2014; Kara, 2016b). There is evidence that high salt intake contributes to noncommunicable diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease, stomach cancer, and osteoporosis (Suckling & Swift, 2015; World Health Organization, 2012), as well as obesity (Campbell, Johnson, & Campbell, 2012), and autoimmune disease (Hucke et al, 2016). It is recommended that adults should be consuming less than 5 g of salt (2 g sodium) a day (World Health Organization, 2012).…”