Many countries around the world need to step up efforts to reduce excess consumption of sodium — which contributes to heart disease, stroke, and premature death — according to a new report form the World Health Organization (WHO).
Consumption of sodium — which includes salt as well as other additives and preservatives — is far higher worldwide than it should be for optimal health, according to the report. The WHO recommends consuming no more than 5 grams of salt daily — about one teaspoon — while the global average salt intake is estimated to be 10.8 grams per day. Eating too much salt has been shown to potentially dampen immune cells and increase inflammation, which may account for at least some of the harmful health effects linked to excess salt consumption — effects like a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, higher blood glucose, and a higher risk of dying earlier. Using a salt substitute, on the other hand — which typically means potassium chloride instead of regular salt (sodium chloride) — is linked to a lower risk for stroke and other cardiovascular events. The evidence against excess salt is so clear that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidelines aimed at reducing sodium levels in packaged foods.
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The new WHO report shows that the world is not on track to meet the organization’s target of a 30% reduction in sodium consumption by 2025, and that more countries will need to take action if this goal has any chance of coming close to reality. According to the report, only 5% of WHO member countries, or nine countries — Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Uruguay — have a “mandatory and comprehensive” sodium reduction strategy, while 73% of countries have not implemented recommended policies. The WHO estimates that implementing recommended sodium reduction policies could save about 7 million lives by 2030.
Various sodium-reduction strategies available
According to the WHO, there are four main “highly cost-effective” interventions — which the group calls “best buys” for sodium reduction — that countries can adopt to reduce the disease burden linked to excess sodium consumption. These include mandating reformulation of foods to contain less salt, setting policies that limit salt in meals at public institutions (such as hospitals, schools, and nursing homes), requiring front-of-package labeling to help consumers choose lower-sodium foods, and supporting media campaigns to make people aware of the dangers of consuming too much salt and sodium. The WHO has suggested benchmarks for how much sodium a variety of processed foods should contain, and encourages countries to use these benchmarks in setting their own policies.
As part of the report, the WHO created a Sodium Country Score Card based on the number and type of sodium reduction policies in place in each country. Countries are given a score of 1 through 4, with a score of 1 indicating a national strategy to reduce sodium intake (a fairly low bar), a score of 2 indicating voluntary measures to reduce sodium intake, a score of 3 indicating mandatory measures to reduce sodium intake, and a score of 4 indicating multiple mandatory measures to reduce sodium intake. In addition to the 9 countries that received a score of 4, there were 43 countries that received a score of 3 (including the United States), 65 countries that received a score of 2, and 58 countries that received a score of 1. Data was not available for several countries, most of them in Africa.
“Unhealthy diets are a leading cause of death and disease globally, and excessive sodium intake is one of the main culprits,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, director-general of the WHO, in a news release on the report. “This report shows that most countries are yet to adopt any mandatory sodium reduction policies, leaving their people at risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health problems. WHO calls on all countries to implement the ‘best buys’ for sodium reduction, and on manufacturers to implement the WHO benchmarks for sodium content in food.”
Want to learn more about sodium? Read “Salt Facts.”
