Higher salt diets in children lead to raised blood pressure which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke in later life, according to a study based on data collected in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. A total of 1,658 children had their salt intake and blood pressure recorded during a seven-day watch on their diet.
The research, published in the Journal of Hypertension, found that for each extra gram of salt eaten there was a 0.4mmHg (millimetres of mercury) increase in systolic blood pressure
Jo Butten, of Consensus Action on Salt and Health (Cash), said: "The message for parents is to check labels, especially on foods such as breakfast cereals and snack products which they may not expect to contain high levels of salt.
"It may be difficult for parents to tell their children they can't have crisps every day, or that they need to eat a different breakfast cereal, or that some instant noodles should be avoided completely, but surely it's a small price to pay to reduce their risk of having a heart attack or stroke when they are older?"
The group rejects the claims by some in the food industry that the evidence linking high salt intake to illness is unclear. "The wealth of scientific evidence clearly links high salt intake to ill health," says the Cash website. "A reduction of 3gm a day from the current average intake of 10-12gm a day over the next decade could easily be achieved if the food industry collaborates."
Malcolm Law, professor of preventive medicine at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, part of the University of London, said: "This is an important finding which confirms that eating more salt increases blood pressure in childhood."
"The differences in systolic blood pressure between children with higher and lower salt diets may appear small, but making reductions of this order in childhood is likely to translate into lower levels of blood pressure in adult life, with reduced risk of developing heart disease and stroke and potentially huge gains in public health being possible."
The watchdog Food Standards Agency urges parents to check the salt levels in foods they buy for youngsters and keep below recommended daily amounts. "When you're buying foods, even those aimed at children, remember to check the information given on the labels," it says on its campaign website salt.gov.uk.
The FSA recommends that younger children receive less salt than older ones. The maximum for one- to three-year-olds is 2gm a day, for four- to six-year-olds it is 3gm a day, for seven- to 10-year-olds it is 5gm a day and for 11 and over it is 6gm a day. Babies should never be given extra salt on their food.
"These are the recommended maximums. It is better for them to have less," the FSA advises. Some processed foods contain more salt than these recommended daily maximum amounts.
