2023-05-15 16:00:13
Italians eat less salt, but still too much compared to what is recommended by the World Health Organization which indicates a maximum dose of 5 grams per day: less than half of the 10.8 taken globally according to a 2019 estimate. In our country, in period 2018-2019, the analysis of urine collected over 24 hours in samples of 35-74 year olds residing in 10 regions, shows an average daily consumption of salt equal to 9.5 grams in men and 7.2 grams in women. Only 9% of males and 23% of females do not exceed 5 g/day as WHO would like. An improved picture from the period 2008-2012 (10.8 g/day in men and 8.3 in women, with a consumption of less than 5 g/day in 4% and 15% respectively), but still not enough. These are the data reported online by the Ministry of Health, on the occasion of the World Awareness Week for the reduction of dietary salt consumption (15-21 May).
The week – which for many years was celebrated in March, but starting this year it has been moved to the third week of May – is promoted by World Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (Wassh), an association founded in 2005, with partners in 100 countries from different continents, which has as its first mission “to make governments aware of the need for a broad multi-sector population strategy on the subject” of salt consumption, as well as “to encourage food companies to reduce salt in their products, considering that around three quarters of the salt consumed is already present in processed and packaged foods and in many countries it reaches 80%”. Taking too much salt – recalls the ministry – raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of serious cardio-cerebrovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Excessive salt consumption has also been associated with chronic-degenerative diseases such as tumours, especially of the stomach, osteoporosis and kidney disease.
‘Ditch the salt’ is the theme of the 2023 edition of the week, to “raise awareness of the food industry to reduce the salt content in its products and remind everyone to use less salt in the kitchen and at the table”. With just one ‘pinch’ less a day, over 4,000 heart attacks and strokes could be prevented each year in the United Kingdom alone, highlights the Wassh which dictates 5 concrete actions to consume less salt: use herbs, spices, garlic, chilli peppers, aromatic herbs and citrus fruits in place of salt to add flavor to food; drain and rinse canned vegetables and legumes and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables; check labels before buying to choose less salty food products; gradually reduce the salt in your favorite recipes, allowing your taste buds to adjust; do not put salt and salty sauces at the table, so that even the youngest in the family get used to not adding salt.
“It is essential that food companies, institutions and citizens continue their commitment to the reformulation of food products and the lesser use of salt in the kitchen and at the table – reads the ministry website – in order to achieve the set goal by the WHO in the Global Action Plan for the prevention and control of chronic noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020, extended to 2030, which foresees a relative reduction of 30% of the average salt/sodium consumption in the population by 2025 compared to a 2010 baseline”.
“To this end – underlines the dicastery – both the ‘Gaining health: making healthy choices easy’ program (Dpcm 4 May 2007) have been contributing for some time, in the context of which numerous Memoranda of Understanding have been signed between the Ministry of Health and associations of artisanal or industrial food producers aimed at reducing the salt content in various categories of food products, and the National Prevention Plan” Pnp.
“The current Pnp 2020-2025 (State-Regions Agreement of 6 August 2020) provides for a strategic line of intervention for the reduction of salt consumption, thus confirming the importance of the objective in the context of promoting healthy eating for the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, already pursued by the Regions with the previous Pnp 2014-2018, extended to 2019, through the development of initiatives including, among other things, local inter-sector agreements and information activities for the population and training for operators connected to the food industry”.
#Italians #consume #salt #double #limits