Children’s Diets “Far Too Salty”
Children in the United Kingdom are eating far too much salt, with much of it coming from breads and cereals, suggests new research published in the journal Hypertension. Children should eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but 70% of children in the study consumed more. Breads and cereals accounted for more than one-third of the sodium in children’s diets. One-fifth came from meat and one-tenth from dairy products. On average, 5- and 6-year-old children consumed about 1,450 milligrams of sodium each day, 8- and 9-year-olds consumed about 1,830 milligrams daily, and 13- to 17-year-olds consumed more than 2,900 milligrams each day. Boys tended to have higher sodium intake than girls. Much of the salt consumed was from processed foods rather than added at the table. The U.K. Department of Health said its voluntary salt reduction policy with manufacturers was working but agreed that more progress is needed. – BBC News
This study was covered in several other outlets, including The Guardian,The Telegraph, the American Heart Association Blog, and BakeryandSnacks.com.
Health Groups Warn Restaurants Will Swap Calories for Sodium
The Ontario Sodium Alliance, a coalition of Canadian health organizations, is warning consumers about the restaurant practice of adding salt as a flavor enhancer to compensate for lower-calorie menu items that contain less sugar or fat. The group says that Ontario’s new menu labelling bill, which requires only calorie data, may lead restaurants to cut calories in meals at the expense of added sodium. The group noted that the introduction of a menu-labelling law in Ontario mandating sodium information be posted on menus alongside calorie counts provides an opportunity to ensure that patrons are given health information about dangerous amounts of sodium. Mark Holland, director of health promotion at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, said anecdotal evidence exists that restaurants adopted the practice of adding sodium to compensate for lower-calorie menu items after New York City introduced a bylaw requiring calorie counts on menus. – Toronto Star
Low Sodium and Vinegar? Chip Shops Phasing Out Salt in Favor of Healthier Alternative