NewsBeat
The supermarket staples that are ‘bad news for heart health’
Through a new analysis, The British Heart Foundation [BHF] has revealed that more than half of Brits are unaware of how much salt they consume every day.
A senior dietician is warning this may be because some of our foodie staples contain hidden salt which could be causing havoc to our health.
Salt contains sodium, which plays a role in regulating fluid balance in the body.
The NHS states adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day, which is around one level teaspoon.
This includes the salt that’s already in our food and the salt added during and after cooking.
The BHF revealed working-age adults in England eat an average of 8.4g of salt per day.
A worrying 56% of Brits were also found to be not confident in estimating their daily salt intake, with only 16% being able to correctly identify the national maximum adult guideline.
These statistics were revealed through a new poll commissioned by BHF alongside YouGov on 2,000 adults.
A further 20% of Brits also thought the daily salt intake was more than 6g and a third (32%) said they didn’t know.
When we eat too much salt, extra water is drawn into the bloodstream, which increases blood volume and raises your blood pressure.
This can put a strain on your heart and blood vessels over time, which increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and vascular dementia.
Some foods with high salt content won’t come as a surprise like bacon, ham, olives and gravy granules.
But Lloyds Pharmacy revealed there may be some products that are staple in your weekly shop that may shock you with their high salt content.
Types of bread like crumpets and bagels, pasta sauces, pizzas, breakfast cereals, soups, cheeses and sausages can all contain high levels of salt.
The NHS said it is also worthwhile for Brits to check their pasta sauces, stock cubes, ketchup, soy sauce, mayonnaise and pickles too for their salt contents.
Dell Stanford, BHF senior dietician, said the ‘hidden’ salt in these items could be putting your health at risk.
Dell said: “Most of the salt we eat is hidden in the food we buy such as bread, cereals, pre-made sauces and ready meals, so it’s often hard to know exactly how much salt we’re consuming.
“This is bad news for our heart health, as eating too much salt significantly increases the risk of high blood pressure, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious diseases.
“The Government must step in to make the healthy choice much easier for families by giving manufacturers an incentive to take out excessive amounts of salt from our food.”
In light of this, here are some NHS tips to help you reduce your salt intake:
- Try adding flavour to your food with herbs and spices, black pepper, garlic, chili, or lemon juice instead of salt.
- Limit the amount of salt you add to your cooking and eating – taste your food before deciding to add extra salt.
- Choose lower-salt foods by checking the label on the back of packaging.
- Buy tinned vegetables, pulses of fish in water instead of brine.
- Have healthier snacks such as plain rice cakes, fruit, vegetables sticks or unsalted nuts.
- Try low or reduced-salt versions of food and sauces.
- Eat salty foods less often and in small amounts.