OVER SALT

Salt is still killing us. Despite decades of dietary advice to cut down, New Zealanders’ average salt intake of about 9g a day remains about 50% higher than the recommended upper limit of just under 6g.

Although another white powder, sugar, has snaffled the health headlines in recent years, our high sodium intake has well-established links with high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, stroke, congestion and circulatory conditions. In New Zealand, cardiovascular disease is our biggest killer, accounting for a third of deaths annually. Every 90 minutes, another New Zealander dies from heart disease.

“Cutting down the amount of salt we consume is one of the most important factors when it comes to reducing blood pressure,” says Dave Monro, food and nutrition manager for the Heart Foundation.

Salt is linked to a number of other health problems including stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney disease.

“Thanks to processed foods, we’re exposed to 10 times more salt than our bodies are meant to handle.”

A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found “a direct linear relationship” between sodium and risk of death once people consume more than 1200mg of sodium (about half a teaspoon of salt) a day – well below the typical daily intake for New Zealand adults of about 3400mg.

There’s new evidence linking salt to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College using mice found a high-salt diet led to a gut reaction that compromised the brain’s blood vessels and caused a build-up of tau, the protein linked to Alzheimer’s. They suspect excessive salt may negatively affect brain health regardless of its effect on blood pressure.

HIDDEN EXPOSURE

The problem with salt is its insidiousness. Unlike other culprits in cardiovascular disease such as alcohol, tobacco and saturated fats, it’s not so easy to take individual responsibility by cutting down at home. That’s because salt is so ubiquitous in our food supply: three-quarters of the salt we consume is from processed food – from bread, breakfast cereals and processed meats to soups and snack foods. Manufacturers add salt not only for its preservative and food-processing roles but also