The easing of salt policy in the UK is linked to more heart disease and cancer

(Reuters Health) – The decline in salt consumption in England has slowed since a change in government policy in 2011 gave the food industry more freedom to set and monitor reduction targets. of salt intake, according to a new study.

As a result, researchers estimate that more Britons have developed heart disease or stomach cancer than it would have been the case with the older, stricter policy.

The study found that between 2003 and 2010, average salt intake decreased by 0.20 g per day in men and 0.12 g per day in women. But progress slowed from 2011 to 2014, when the average annual salt intake decreased by only 0.11 grams per day for men and 0.07 grams per day for women.

"The old system set independent targets for salt reduction and monitored them," said Anthony Laverty, senior author of the study and public health researcher at Imperial College London. "There was an incentive for the food industry to change foods so that they contain less salt, along with public awareness campaigns and the establishment of food labeling. . "

But after 2011, "the sector has not been subject to the same attention and their efforts to reduce the salt content in food seem to have faded," Laverty said via e-mail.

Food salt can damage the lining of the stomach, which, over time, can sometimes lead to stomach cancer, according to previous research. Too much salt is also linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes.

Using computer simulations, the researchers estimated how the change in salt policy had affected the characteristics of salt-related diseases in the population. From 2011 to 2018, reduced annual reductions in sodium intake could be responsible for about 9,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease and 1,500 cases of gastric cancer compared to the previous salt policy. , reports the research team in the Journal of Epidemiology. & Community Health.

If the current policy remains in force, it could lead to 26,000 additional cases of cardiovascular disease and 3,800 cases of gastric cancer between 2019 and 2025, the researchers said.

These additional cases of cardiovascular disease and cancer resulted in additional health care costs and a loss of productivity of £ 160 million ($ 199.89 million) between 2011 and 2018, the researchers calculated. And if the current policy is maintained, the additional health costs and lost productivity will exceed 1 billion pounds by 2025, they say.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), adults should not consume more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium a day, which corresponds to about 5 grams or a teaspoon of salt.

In the UK, men and women consume far more salt than they should: an average of 9.1 grams per day for men and 6.7 grams per day for women from 2014, notes the study team.

Sodium is found not only in table salt, but also in various foods such as bread, milk, eggs, meat and seafood, as well as in processed products such as pretzels, popcorn, sauce soy and broth or bouillon cubes.

The study was not designed to prove that slowing down annual reductions in salt intake was causing new cases of disease. The researchers also examined trends for the general population and did not examine the health outcomes of individuals based on their specific level of salt intake.

It is also unclear whether salt consumption would have continued to decline at its pre-2011 pace in the absence of a policy change in the UK, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University.

"Many" easier "sodium reduction gains had already been made in 2012: reducing the sodium of some products in small quantities is technically much easier than larger or smaller reductions in the amount of sodium available. 39, other types of products, "said Mozaffarian. involved in the study, said by email. "It would be unlikely to achieve further linear reductions at the same rate."

In the UK, current and previous salt policies have led to a reduction in salt consumption, suggesting that several approaches may be useful, Mozaffarian added.

SOURCE: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, bit.ly/2OgXV5g, Online July 18, 2019.