"Salt" is for self-discipline, so as to prolong life

Author: Dong Xiangyan, Shanghai First People's Hospital

Zhou Xingmei, deputy chief nurse, Shanghai First People's Hospital

Chang Jian, Chief Nurse, Shanghai First People's Hospital

Reviewer: Shao Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the Nursing Group of the Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital

In ancient times, salt was the "ancestor of all flavors" and was an expensive and strictly controlled scarce commodity. In today's society, although salt is no longer expensive, it still plays an irreplaceable role in human life. Today we are going to talk about "Salt and Health".

What is salt?

Table salt refers to edible sodium chloride crystals obtained from seawater, underground rock (mineral) salt deposits, and natural brine (salty) water, also known as edible salt.

Salt is the main source of sodium and chloride in the human body. It maintains normal physiological functions, regulates blood osmotic pressure, stimulates saliva secretion, participates in gastric acid formation, and promotes digestive enzyme activity. In addition, it also has important functions such as seasoning, preservation, and improving water retention and adhesion.

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What happens if you don’t consume enough salt?

Mild insufficient intake : symptoms include fatigue, dizziness, fainting when standing upright, low urine specific gravity, normal or increased urine volume, orthostatic hypotension, and yellowing of the skin.

Moderate insufficient intake : In addition to the above symptoms, other symptoms may include decreased skin elasticity, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, decreased urine volume, dull expression, and low blood pressure.

Severe salt deficiency : When there is a severe lack of salt, in addition to all the above symptoms, symptoms such as shock and coma may also appear.

Too much salt means loss - what will happen if you consume too much salt?

Regarding the excessive intake of salt, the ancients said: "Fools eat salt endlessly, which spoils the taste and becomes a problem. This is true for all things in the world. Excessive intake is not only useless, but harmful." The ancients believed that excessive salt intake would spoil the taste system. Not only that, there is a French proverb: "Beauty is born in the mountains, not by the sea." It means that women by the sea have more salt intake, which makes their skin prone to wrinkles, while women in the mountains have smooth and delicate skin because they eat less salt. In addition, eating too much salt can also cause spots, obesity, etc., affecting the appearance.

In addition, excessive salt intake can also cause a series of diseases, including cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, edema, calcium deficiency, diabetes, etc.

The Evidence of Salt

my country is a country that loves salt. The average daily salt intake of adults is higher in rural areas than in cities, and higher in the north than in the south.

On one hand, there is deliciousness, on the other hand, there is health. How can we maintain a balance between deliciousness and health?

In 2007, WHO listed salt reduction as one of the best measures to prevent chronic diseases. Many countries have carried out salt reduction actions and salt reduction-related research. Currently, more than half of the countries in the world are implementing salt reduction measures. Finland launched a salt reduction action in 1980 and was the first country to implement the "Salt Reduction Plan". my country clearly proposed the "Salt Reduction Plan" in 2017. The State Council issued the "National Nutrition Plan (2017-2030)", which proposed to achieve the goal of reducing the average daily salt intake of the whole people by 20% by 2030. Since 2019, the National Action Office of the National Healthy Lifestyle Action has set September 15 of each year as "9·15" Salt Reduction Week, which means "just 5g", to promote the concept of salt reduction to the public. In 2022, the newly promulgated "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends a daily salt intake of 5g, which is the same as the WHO standard.

“Salt” in a nutshell - How to reduce and limit salt intake in our lives?

Quantify with salt, step by step

(1) It is difficult for people with a strong taste for salt to suddenly change to a light diet, so they should first quantify the amount of salt they use and then gradually reduce it.

(2) When cooking, you can use measuring tools to determine the actual amount of salt to add. The capacity of a salt spoon is usually 2 g, and the capacity of a beer bottle cap without the rubber pad is about 6 g. In addition, 20 ml of soy sauce = 3 g of salt. Please pay attention to the conversion of equivalent amounts.

(3) Adding salt to dishes before serving can reduce the amount of salt used while still achieving the same salty taste.

Alternative cooking, better flavor

MSG, soy sauce, yellow bean paste, sweet bean paste, seasoning packets, etc. are high-sodium condiments and should be used in limited amounts. You can use the following substitutes to give your food a different flavor.

Seasonings: pepper, star anise, cinnamon, tangerine peel, aniseed, onion, ginger, garlic, etc.

Sauces: vinegar, lemon juice, spices, etc.

Special flavor ingredients: lemon, parsley, coriander, onion, etc.

Taste the bitter and spicy, change your habits

Studies have found that capsaicin acts on the salt taste center, increasing salt sensitivity and thus reducing salt intake. This method can reduce salt intake by about 2.5 g per day.

Different from the mechanism of capsaicin, bitter taste can increase the organism's aversion to a high-salt diet and can also promote active salt restriction.

When dining out, choose wisely

The amount of salt in restaurants, canteens and takeaway food is far more than you think. It is recommended to choose low-salt dishes when dining out, as meat usually absorbs salt more easily than vegetables. Try to choose food cooked by steaming or boiling, and eat less greasy dishes.

Look closely at the packaging to find hidden salt

Many daily foods contain hidden salt, such as MSG, soy sauce, sweet noodle sauce, fermented bean curd and other condiments, pickled vegetables, salted eggs and other pickled products, sausages, ham, roast chicken, hamburgers and other cooked meat products, instant noodle seasonings, canned foods and other fast foods, melon seeds, French fries, plums, butcher shops and other snacks are all high in salt and should not be consumed in excess.

Choose salt wisely and reduce salt consumption carefully

Choosing low-sodium salt is an effective measure to reduce sodium salt intake. Low-sodium salt tastes similar to ordinary refined salt of the same weight, but the former can reduce sodium ion intake by about 30%, achieving the effect of reducing sodium, supplementing potassium, and not reducing saltiness.

Infants and young children should control their salt intake. Studies have shown that controlling salt intake during infancy can keep their blood pressure at a lower level in adulthood. In addition, children and adolescents who exercise a lot, as well as people who often exercise or work in high temperatures, need to consume more salt than usual, so these people should be cautious in reducing salt intake.

Simply put, "salt" - "two attentions, four choices, five eat less"

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References:

【1】Li Yuan, Luo Rong, Zhang Puhong. Progress in salt reduction in preventing and controlling chronic diseases[J]. Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2018, 52(7):757-761.

【2】Wu Yangfeng. Scientific evidence for promoting low sodium salt and its public health significance[J]. Chinese Journal of Circulation, 2022, 37(1):1-3.

【3】Guo Jialiang, Feng Minghui, Ma Hui, et al. Research progress in food salt reduction[J]. Food and Fermentation Industries, 2022, 48(15):341-350.