Salting the earth: Sodium carries health risks
- Source: Global Times
- [09:45 January 21 2011]
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By Chen Dujuan
Salt is one of the most commonly used seasonings in the kitchen, but it seems that residents in Beijing are consuming far too much of it. According to the World Health Organization, daily intake of salt for healthy adults should be no more than six grams, however, the Beijing Health Bureau in early January said that most Beijingers consume more like 13.4 grams, more than twice of the recommended maximum.
In the supermarket, we found a staggering variety of salts available. In addition to ordinary table salt, "nutritionally enhanced" salts were the biggest category we saw, including salt enhanced with iron, calcium and other things. The sheer number of enhanced salts is staggering.
"I don't even know what salt I'm using at home," said Hou Zhaohui, a 27-year-old Web editor. "Whenever I buy salt, I just choose the most cost-effective one."
Fan Zhihong, associate professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, said, "The major way to choose nutritional salts is to 'replenish what you're lacking in' and only replenish what you're lacking in; otherwise, it can be harmful if you take too much."
According to her, people suffering from anemia can choose iron-enhanced salt, which can add flavor and supplement iron in the body. Zinc is important to growth and maintenance of a normal palate and appetite, and while generally people can get enough zinc through a balanced diet, kids, pregnant women and vegetarians who may suffer from zinc deficiency could possibly benefit from zinc-enhanced salt. As selenium has the functions of oxidation resistance, slowing down the aging of cells, for the elderly and cardiovascular patients, selenium-enhanced salt is a good choice. Riboflavin-enhanced salt is salt added with vitamin B2, so dental ulcer sufferers can improve their situation by using the salt.
Sodium in salt can strengthen vessel surface tension, elevating blood pressure, so low-sodium salt in which iodate is the major material with certain potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate and not a lot of sodium is suitable for people suffering from heart diseases and high blood pressure, but also is a healthier choice for people who want to prevent high blood pressure.
For low-sodium salt, Hong Zhongxin, director of Nutrition Department at Beijing Friendship Hospital attached to Capital Medical University agreed with Fan that sodium in salt is a majoy contributior to high blood pressure and low-sodium salt can help reduce blood pressure for long-term takers, but he added, "This kind of salt is low in sodium while high in potassium, so patients with renal insufficiency, especially with urinary dysfunction, should not take much because potassium cannot be voided effectively for these people so as to result in arrhythmia or even cardiac failure. In addition, even for low-sodium salt, healthy people should take no more than six grams of sodium a day and the number is only three grams for high blood pressure patients."
