Reducing salt intake is the best way to prevent high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The corresponding conclusion was made by scientists from Griffith University in Australia and Oxford University in the UK, according to the British Medical Journal Open.
The researchers found that middle- and low-income countries suffer large economic losses from the epidemic scale of noncommunicable diseases. The greatest burden falls on disorders of the heart and blood vessels. Using the example of Cameroon, scientists assessed the public health impact of strategies to reduce salt intake: a media campaign, school education programs, and a shift to low-sodium salt substitutes.
For example, about a third of adult Cameroonians suffer from high blood pressure, and excessive salt intake is a major factor. The study found that all three strategies in general can prevent 10 to 84 thousand deaths from heart problems and strokes.
Scientists note that for high-income countries, such as Australia, the strategy to reduce consumption of this product should be to modernize the food industry, which practices the addition of excess salt to processed foods.
