SALT IS KILLING YOU!!

Unfortunately, very few of us were allowed to keep the sensitive, discriminating palates we were born with. I’m 100% certain if you served the food you eat daily to a person who has never eaten salt before, they would spit it out right away.   

I cringe every time I read food labels and discover the amount of salt (Sodium Chloride) added to processed foods. Kenyans are exposed daily to numerous ingredients that have been proven by research to cause Non-Communicable Diseases and the fact that the ‘watch-dog’ bodies don’t seem to be doing anything to change the situation makes the matter a thousand times worse.   

International guidelines dictate an ‘Adequate Intake’ of 20–40 mmol (460–920 mg) of sodium per day. This corresponds to 1.15–2.3 grams of salt. The set ‘Upper Limit’ or maximum amount for sodium intake is 2300 mg per day (corresponding to approximately 6 grams of salt). Well, let me make your work easier, it is approximately 1 teaspoon of salt is approximately 4.2 grams. Intake above this level is regarded as likely to cause harm. 

Sodium and Potassium are very important salts in the body. Excess sodium consumption however raises your blood pressure.  Potassium on the other hand is the main mineral responsible for lowering the blood pressure. This means that for your blood pressure to be normal, the blood levels of potassium and sodium must be at ‘normal’ levels.  

Salt would rapidly be fatal if the kidneys could not excrete it as fast as you eat it. The kidneys excrete salt (sodium) faster at a higher blood pressure, and the ability of the kidneys to excrete excess sodium provides powerful and life-saving protection against the accumulation of a dangerous backlog of salt. High blood pressure unfortunately has a number of dangerous long-term health outcomes, and greatly increases the risk of both stroke and heart disease. (Australian National Health and Medical Research Council) Continuously elevated blood pressure or high blood pressure over a prolonged period is referred to as Hypertension.   

 I have unfortunately not come across research findings indicating how much sodium Kenyans are consuming. Considering the increasing prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases among Kenyans, especially among young kids and the youth, it’s crucial for the Government to fund not only research, but also a consumer behavior change communication project specific to Food, Nutrition and Lifestyle Choices.

As always, I need to sing Kenya’s seemingly National Slogan, Government regulatory bodies need to start doing their job. The Kenya Bureau of Standards, Kenya Pharmaceuticals and Poisons Board and whoever else whose job it is to regulate the local foods manufacturing and imports market, seriously need to be fired or explain to Kenyans why Supermarkets are packed with foods that are literally killing Kenyans.

I normally advise parents not to start adding salt (sodium chloride) to baby food until way after 1 year, after which they still need to use a very small amount, or even better, iodized herbal salt. You already eat Sodium in your daily diet, so you don’t need to be adding too much of it in your food.

If you’re like me and your taste buds have been totally messed up over the years by a consistent high intake of salt, simply substitute the normal table salt with what most people refer to as Diabetics salt. It’s basically sodium reduced sea salt, just ensure that it’s indicated on the container that it’s Iodized to prevent goiter. Even better if you can, substitute normal table salt with Iodized herbal salt; that way you’ll get additional benefits of healthy herbs. Herbal salt may not be the best if you have ulcers or Hyper-Acidity due to the added spices and herbs that might trigger acid production.

For any queries or Nutrition Consultation or a topic you would like me to address, comment below or visit my Facebook page; www.facebook.com/StellarAfya or email me on stllkimani@gmail.com.