Parents Urged To Ditch Salt

Parents in Fife are being urged to help cut down the amount of salt children eat.

The average population intake is eight grams a day - above the maximum daily recommendation of 6 grams

Experts are encouraging youngsters to eat less salt and to enjoy the real flavour of food. 

Despite the UK leading the world in salt reduction, experts say we are all still eating too much salt, with a population average intake of 8.1g per day, which is above the maximum daily recommendation of 6g per day for an 

A high salt diet can set a child up for raised blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular disease later on in life, and is also linked to a number of other serious health conditions such as stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney disease. 

The Department of Health estimates that reducing intakes by 1g - a pinch of salt - would save 4,147 preventable deaths and £288 million to the NHS every year.

Professor Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of CASH and says, “Evidence suggests dietary habits in childhood can influence eating patterns later in life. Salt should therefore not be given to children as this could lead to a 'salt addiction' - a preference for salt throughout their lifetime. This will consequently raise their blood pressure which tracks into adulthood, leading to increased risk of developing strokes and heart  attacks

Natalie Carlton from the Consumer & Business Education Team comments, “People are still eating far too much salt and it is extremely important that we try and cut down. Reducing salt intake doesn’t have to be difficult, with simple changes such as reading the labels of foods, choosing lower salt ingredients and not adding salt during cooking or at the table can all make a real difference to our health.”

Julia Walker, Facilitator for User Panels Fife Elderly Forum Executive says, “I was shocked that what appeared to be a healthy readymade meal for 1 person contained 3.5g of salt – the equivalent to 7 standard 32.5g packets of ready salted crisps.”

Katy Devine, Food and Nutrition Student taking part in a workshop adds, “I am surprised at how difficult it was to tell the difference in the products during the taste test pancake challenge and would consider looking at lower salt alternatives in future.”