Neither hypertension nor cardiovascular disease decreased after removal of restaurant salt shakers

On April 4, 2013, the restaurant tables of Mexico City ended up without cellars to salt, because the campaign "Less salt, more health" came into effect, promoted by the Federal District Health Department at the time, to raise public awareness that high sodium intake (Na) aggravates some chronic degenerative diseases.

However, when the financial reduction of the impact of the initiative on the population, the scenario is it improved ?, asks Professor Gregorio Benítez Peralta of the Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine of UNAM.

"Neither hypertension nor cardiovascular disease has diminished, because salt is only a part of our sodium intake,we end up ingesting other ways without realizing it, "said the academic.

According to the researcher, Part of the mistake is not to understand that it's not the same to talk about sodium salt because the former consists of two-fifths of Na and the remaining percentage of chlorine (Cl ), in addition to the fact that the former is usually in various foods in different forms, the mere exclusion of this condiment does not therefore equate to a diet low in sodium.

In fact, according to data from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English), more than 70% of the sodium that enters our body comes from prepared or packaged foods and not from the salt shaker, so to speak Dr. Benítez, is better to raise awareness of what we put in the mouth than to impose on businesses condiments to place in the center of their tables.

For Omar Hernández, director of Francachela restaurant, who has extensive experience in the field, the effectiveness of the campaign promoted by the Ministry of Health is limited because, according to his experience, "many guests do the first thing they ask, it's the salt shaker"even before seeing the letter (and if they do, we can not deny it), the strategy must be redesigned. "

Mr Benítez Peralta is of the same opinion and proposes, in order to have a real effect, to teach people not only to read the nutrition labels on foods, but also to:Build them with high sodium so you do not abuse them.

"Prepared soups, sausages and canned goods are products that we should pay attention tobecause they usually use condoms such as sodium glutamate and almost nobody noticed, "he said.

According to the studies reported in the FDA report cited earlier, Half of the sodium consumed by Americans comes from breads and rolls, cheeses, pastas, pizzas, hamburgers, poultry (fresh and processed) and appetizers such as french fries or pretzels and, on this point, the professor from UNAM adds that Asian cuisine is not left out, as kitchens such as Chinese or Japanese are based on salt. .

In fact, the Nippons have added a fifth, umami, word translated as "tasty" to the four traditional flavors. and that describes something that tastes like salt and sugar at the same time. This aftertaste is usually achieved by using monosodium glutamate, an addictive compound that invites you to eat more. This is why, in a very short time, the ingested Na increases.

"If we go to the restaurant and ask for a dish with glutamate, we add sausages or we use soy sauce It would be nice to ask the server account, but not in money, but in sodium! Knowing how much is left over would be good for your health and it is not that difficult to get such a figure, just be curious. "

Since 1962, the world symposium on salt has been organized. Salineros, businessmen, researchers, academics and journalists from all regions met to discuss on various issues related to sodium chloride (NaCl) and, in its 2018 edition (this time in Park City, Utah, United States), one of the debates focused on a question on which there is still no consensus: How much salt should we eat?

Although some studies suggest a maximum of 1,500 milligrams a day, others say 5,000 are acceptable., Which figure to stick to? According to Professor Benítez, there is still a need to investigate further, although some 400,000 individuals have been tested, but this number is too small to be extrapolated to nearly 7,445 million. individuals on the planet.

"In order to make a valid recommendation for all more representative and randomized controlled studies, it is necessary, or at least that was the conclusion of the World Salt Symposium" (event in which Mort Satin, United Nations biologist crefers to the reduction of salt in the diet as the biggest myth in the history of modern public health).

And just as he insists on the harmfulness of excess sodium for health, Dr. Benítez asks to recall that, in sufficient quantities, This electrolyte is crucial for the body because it is helpful to maintain the balance of liquids and allows the good action of muscles and nerves, among other functions, instead of banishing salt from cookbooks, he asks to use it cautiously.

Expressions such as "share bread and salt" to exalt camaraderie, "be salty" as an indicator of bad luck or call someone "salty" denoting its panache and grace means only the strong root of this ingredient in our culture, so, for the expert, it is almost impossible to ask people who do not use it, and therefore considers more effective to propose alternatives.

"If we have to season, we can use potbadium salt or seasonings without glutamate.It is also possible to use pepper, garlic, lemon, bay leaf, mint or fine herbs. In addition, it is important to check food labels before buying them. It is considered that a product has high levels if, per 100 grams, there is more than 1.25 gram of salt. In the long run, it would be more beneficial to do these calculations than to remove the salt shakers from the table. "