Salt consumption in China is one of the highest in the world in the last four decades

Salt consumption in China is among the highest in the world, with adults in the last four decades regularly consuming more than 10 g of salt per day on average, more than double the recommended limit, according to a new study 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 3-6 eat the maximum amount of salt recommended by the World Health Organization for adults (5g per day), while older children consume nearly 9 g / 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 looked at all the data ever published on salt consumption in China (which concerned about 900 children and 26,000 adults across the country) and revealed that salt consumption has always been high over the last four decades. , with a North-South division.

Although salt consumption in northern China is one of the highest in the 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 of the government's efforts to raise salt awareness and reduce dependence on pickled food, due to the increased availability of vegetables all year round.

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

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

Researchers looked at potbadium intake and found that, unlike salt intake, it was systematically low throughout China over the last four decades, individuals from all groups of people in the world. age consuming less than half of the minimum recommended intake.

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

Feng J He, professor of global health research at Queen Mary University in London and deputy director of Action for Salt China, added, "Salt consumption in northern China has declined, but is still growing double the maximum intake recommended by WHO, while Most of the salt consumed in China comes from salt added by consumers during cooking, but the consumption of processed foods and from Food from street markets, restaurants and food chains, and this needs to be resolved before the hard-won cuts are offset. "

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University in London and director of action on Salt China, said: "A coherent, achievable and national strategy is urgently needed in China. World population lives in China Reducing salt intake and increasing potbadium consumption across the country would translate into huge benefits for global health. "

Trends in this latest study contradict in part those of previous studies that have shown a significant decline in salt consumption throughout China. The researchers say the results are much more robust than previous estimates, which were based on surveys of people's eating habits. Instead, the team determined salt intake exclusively using 24-hour urine sample data.

The intake of salt evaluated by dietary methods is not reliable since most of the salt in the Chinese diet comes from salt added when cooking at home or in sauces, which is very variable and difficult to quantify. In addition, processed foods and foods produced outside the home are increasingly consumed, but their salt content tends to be poorly recorded in food composition tables.