Salt consumption in China among the highest in the world in four decades – Eurasia Review



[ad_1]

Salt consumption in China has proven to be one of the highest
world, with adults in the last four decades consistently consuming on
average greater than 10 g of salt per day, more than double the
recommended limit, according to new research conducted by Queen Mary
University of London.

The systematic review and meta-badysis, funded by the National Institute of Health Research and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association,
also found that Chinese children aged 3 to 6 years ate the maximum amount
of salt recommended by the World Health Organization for Adults (5g
day) while older children eat almost 9g / day.

Salt abuse increases blood pressure, the leading cause of stroke and heart disease, responsible for about 40% of deaths among Chinese people.

The team reviewed all the data ever published on salt consumption in China
(which involved about 900 children and 26,000 adults across the country)
and found that salt intake has always been high in recent years
four decades, with a North-South division.

While salt consumption in northern China is among the highest in the world,
world (11.2 g per day), it has been declining since the 1980s, when it was
12.8 g per day, and especially since the 2000s. This could be the result
government efforts in salt education and
reduced reliance on pickled foods – thanks to a longer season
availability of vegetables.

However, this downward trend has not been observed in southern China,
which increased significantly from 8.8 g per day in the 1980s to 10.2 g per day
in the 2010s. This could be due to government efforts that are mitigated
by the increasing consumption of processed foods and meals outdoors.
These latter results contradict those of previous studies based on less
robust data showing a decline in salt consumption across the country.

Potbadium, naturally present in fruits and vegetables, and which is
in potbadium salt, has the opposite effect of sodium (salt) on the blood
pressure: while sodium increases blood pressure, potbadium lowers it.

The researchers looked at potbadium intake and found that
to salt consumption, it has always been low throughout China for the
four decades, with individuals of all ages consuming less
than half of the recommended minimum intakes.

Lead author, Monique Tan, of Queen Mary University in London, said:
"Urgent action is needed in China to accelerate the reduction of salt and
increase the potbadium intake. Hypertension in children
adulthood, leading to cardiovascular disease. If you eat more salt
while you are young, you are more likely to eat more salt in adulthood,
and have a higher blood pressure. These incredibly high salt, and low
potbadium, the numbers are very worrying for the future health of the
Chinese population. "

Feng J He, Professor of Global Health Research at Queen Mary
University of London and deputy director of Action on Salt China, added:
"Salt consumption in northern China has decreased, but it still exceeds double the
maximum consumption recommended by WHO, while salt intake
increased in southern China. Most of the salt consumed in China comes from
added salt by the consumers themselves when cooking. however,
there is now a rapid increase in the consumption of processed foods and
food from street markets, restaurants and fast food chains, and this
must be resolved before hard-won cuts are compensated. "

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary
University of London and director of Action on Salt China said:
A coherent, achievable and national strategy is urgent in China.
One-fifth of the world's population lives in China. reach
salt reduction as well as the increase in potbadium intake through the
country would bring a huge benefit to global health. "

The trends observed in this last study partly contradict those of
Previous studies that have revealed significant decreases in salt intake across the
all of China. The researchers say that these last results are much more
robust than previous estimates that relied on surveys
people's eating habits. The team instead determined salt intake
exclusively with the use of data from urine samples taken over a 24-hour period
period.

The salt intake badessed by dietary methods is unreliable because most
salt in the Chinese diet comes from salt added at home
cooking or in sauces, which is very variable and difficult to
quantify. In addition, processed and out-of-home foods are becoming more and more
consumed, but their salt content tends to be poorly
food composition tables.

Please make a donation today.

Did you enjoy this article? So, consider making a donation today to ensure that Eurasia Review can continue to provide similar content.

[ad_2]
Source link