04 October 2006

NI public warned over excess salt consumption

The Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke Association have today said that around 1000 lives could be saved in the province each year if people halved their salt intake.

The NICHS said that the amount of people dying from strokes could be reduced by a quarter and those dying from coronary heart disease could be cut by almost a fifth if people cut the amount of salt in their diets to less than five grammes a day – the equivalent of one teaspoon.

According to the NICHS, men consume more than twice the average recommended daily intake at 11 grammes, with women taking in around 8 grammes – which could contribute to high blood pressure and even lead to both strokes and heart attacks.

Today's advice was issued as medical experts launched a global campaign to persuade people to cut down their levels of salt intake.

Around two and a half million lives could be saved throughout the world each year if people cut their intake by half.

Commenting on this, Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of the NICHS said that the figures may actually be even higher, and added that studies currently carried out by the University of Ulster, could make the assessment of salt consumption much more accurate.

He also added that things were confused further because many food labels did not list salt as an ingredient.

(EF/SP)