Renewed calls have come this month from health professionals for us to reduce the amount of salt we consume. Currently, the average salt intake for an adult in the UK stands at about 10g per day, and recommendations are that we should cut our daily intake to no more than 6g. It is believed that this would lead to global reductions in blood pressure that, in time, would translate into significant reductions in the rates of cardiovascular conditions, such as heart attacks and strokes.
Recently, I read that some doctors have become frustrated that their efforts to encourage people to eat less salt have not been helped by TV chefs who recommend rock and sea salt over regular table stuff. While such salts may be more desirable from a culinary perspective, their negative effects on blood pressure are likely to be similar to those of table varieties.
Personally, I am relaxed about celebrity-chef salt recommendations, on the basis that the salt we add during cooking or at the table accounts for only about 10 per cent of the total salt we consume. The majority of our salt intake comes via processed foods. Therefore, it makes sense for those aiming to reduce their salt intake to target not so much the salt they add themselves, but the salt already added to foods by the food industry.
Recently, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) urged the food industry to make significant reductions in the salt it adds to food. However, when supermarkets and food manufacturers objected to this on the basis of 'technical' and 'consumer taste' issues, the FSA lamely relaxed the proposed targets. It is perhaps no surprise that the food industry might be putting profit before public health, but I had hoped for better from the government agency chiefly responsible for UK food policy.
I suggest that those keen to reduce their salt consumption should simply consume less salt-laden processed fare. It is useful to compare the saltiness of foods with sea water, which contains about 2.5g of salt per 100g. Bread contains about half this level, while some foods, such as cornflakes, sausages and other processed meat products, can contain salt levels equivalent to or higher than sea water. Food manufacturers have got into the habit of listing salt as sodium. Watch out for this, as sodium must be multiplied by 2.5 to calculate the equivalent amount of salt. Avoiding salt-saturated processed food should help protect us from the unsavoury effects of high blood pressure.
Nutrition news
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition characterised by one or more of a range of symptoms, including abdominal discomfort and bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea.
In a column earlier this year, I highlighted the fact that many cases of IBS are related to unwanted reactions to food known as 'food sensitivity' or 'food intolerance'. I mentioned also that one of the most common offenders is wheat - the primary constituent of many staple foods, including most bread, pasta and breakfast cereals. The concept that IBS might be related to food sensitivity was tested in a study published recently in the American Journal of Gastroenterology.
In it, 108 individuals with IBS and 43 who did not suffer from this condition had their blood tested for antibodies to 16 foods (antibodies suggest the body is reacting adversely to that food). Compared with non-sufferers, those with IBS were found to have higher antibody levels to several foods, including wheat. Other foods likely to provoke antibody responses included soya bean, beef, lamb and pork.
This study provides further evidence that IBS can be caused by food sensitivity, and suggests wheat is a likely trigger of unexplained gut-related symptoms.
Dear John
I suffer from dry skin, which gets much worse in the winter. The skin on my hands can be particularly badly affected, often cracking and bleeding. Can you recommend anything?
Anon
Dry skin can be a sign of an under-functioning thyroid, other symptoms of which include sensitivity to cold, fatigue, weight gain and low mood. If you think you may have low thyroid function, then you might want to discuss this with your doctor. Usually, my experience is that dry skin is related to nutritional deficiency, often of fats known as essential fatty acids (EFAs). Eating a diet rich in EFAs may help to add moisture to your skin. Suitable foods include oily fish (such as salmon, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines), and nuts and seeds. I also recommend you take a daily tablespoon of flaxseed oil. This is rich in a fat known as alphalinolenic acid. Sometimes, cracking in the skin can be a sign of zinc deficiency. I suggest you supplement with 30mg of zinc each day for three months. In the long term, take a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement with at least 7mg of zinc, along with a tablespoon of flaxseed oil.
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