By World Hypertension Day is now aligned with Salt Awareness Week which is observed the third week of May each year. This year’s theme, ‘Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it, and live longer!’ highlights the need for Jamaicans to get screened and know their numbers.
The Heart Foundation notes in a media release that, “regularly eating of too much salt can increase our risk of developing high blood pressure, which is the main cause of strokes, and a major cause of heart attacks. It is frightening to note that currently in Jamaica one in three persons are hypertensive and one in four are unaware that they are hypertensive. If diagnosed early, preventative measures can be taken to improve one’s health and wellbeing. The WHO recommends we eat less than five grams of salt per day, as reducing salt in our diets is one of the quickest and most effective ways to reduce our blood pressure and improve our health. What we don’t often realise is just how much salt we are eating because most of the salt we eat is already in the food we buy.”
It continues, “Today, salt has become such a staple in our diet that we are eating a lot of it, fuelled in part by the fact that when salty foods are regularly on the menu, our taste buds develop a preference for them. And of course, when we eat at one of our favourite fast-food restaurants, we very likely consume foods that contain “bucket-loads” of salt.
The Foundation called on the food industry, including the eating out of home sector, to make their offerings better for the public by doing more to reduce the amount of salt they add to food, including providing healthier options, and encouraging the public to make small changes to their eating, cooking and purchasing habits.
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“We are also advocating for government to implement clear, easy to understand black octagon front-of-package warning labels which will let consumers know at a glance if a product is high in fat, sugar or salt. It is important to note that our recommendation is based on the results of a peer-reviewed research study conducted by the Ministry of Health, PAHO and UTech and printed in The British Medical Journal an internationally recognised medical publication.”
While we wait for the adoption of these labels we encourage consumers to:
• Try to prepare your own food at home when you can;
• To limit the use of mixes (packet-soup, sauces, pasta mixes, cake mix, flavoured rice, instant noodles, and instant cereals etc.);
• Use fresh or “natural” foods, seasonings, spices and herbs instead of salt to flavour food when you are cooking. Some examples are thyme, scallion, paprika, lime juice, vanilla, onion, no salt spice blends, mustard, vinegar. Don’t salt food before you taste it; enjoy the natural taste of food and avoid canned/processed foods whenever possible; and
• Choose fresh meats, poultry, and seafood, rather than processed varieties. Also, check the package on fresh meats and poultry to see if salt water or saline has been added.
Persons are invited to access additional tips and information at https://www.heartfoundationja.org/campaign/global-health-advocacy-project/.
