[Lifestyle] World Health Organization recommends swapping table salt with lower sodium salt substitutes; but should you?

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The latest guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend using lower-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS) instead of regular table salt, considering its adverse impact on blood pressure and cardiovascular health. “Globally, each year 1.9 million deaths are attributable to high sodium intake. WHO recommends limiting sodium intake to below 2 g/day to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Despite efforts made by Member States to achieve the global target to reduce po[CENSORED]tion sodium intake by 30% by 2030, progress has been slow,” WHO noted on its site. It added that the mean global sodium intake remains high, estimated to be “4.3 g/day in 2019, more than double the WHO recommendation”. But what are LSSS? They are alternatives to regular salt such that they contain less sodium than regular salt and often include potassium chloride, with or without other agents, to achieve a flavour similar to regular salt, it read.“The replacement of some of the sodium chloride by potassium chloride may provide advantages, compared with regular salt, in addition to the sodium-lowering effect. The use of LSSS is increasingly considered by national health authorities and public health organisations as a potential sodium reduction strategy to lower blood pressure and CVD risk, and their use is on the rise,” it stated.Excessive sodium consumption is a well-established contributor to elevated blood pressure, which significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, reiterated Dr Navneet Kaur, diabetologist, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Chirag Enclave, Delhi. “WHO recommends that adults consume less than two grams of sodium per day, equivalent to less than five grams of salt (just under a teaspoon). However, average sodium intake is estimated to be around 4.3 grams per day, more than double the recommended amount,” elucidated Dr Kaur.

https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/swap-table-salt-lower-sodium-substitutes-world-health-organization-experts-9807094/