A study of 181 countries found that if you eat salty, you may live longer. How much salt is better to eat every day?

We are usually advised not to eat too much salt, and to eat a light diet, otherwise we are prone to cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, and even shorten our life span.

But studies have found that people who eat salty may live longer. Let's take a look at what the research has to say.

1. The saltier you eat, the longer you live?

A study published in the top international journal "European Heart Journal" analyzed the salt intake, life expectancy and death data of 181 countries around the world to verify the relationship between salt intake and life expectancy and all-cause mortality. Relationship.

The findings found that salt intake was positively associated with life expectancy at birth and life expectancy at age 60, and inversely associated with all-cause mortality. For every 2.5 grams of average daily salt intake (about 1 gram of sodium), the life expectancy at birth is 2.6 years longer than the life expectancy at birth, and 0.3 years longer than the life expectancy at the age of 60 , and all-cause deaths are reduced by 131 cases per person. 100,000 people.

But in the past, a high-salt diet has been recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and premature death.

2. Can the salt be eaten freely? How much is best to eat?

However, the research team also stated that although this study broke through the traditional concept, it is a conclusion of an observational study and cannot be used as evidence for nutritional guidelines.

Long-term high-salt diet is still very harmful to health, and it will increase the risk of many diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, osteoporosis and gastric cancer. Therefore, pay attention to salt control in your daily diet.

According to the recommendations of the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents, the daily salt intake per person should not exceed 5 grams . 6 grams of table salt is about the same as a full beer bottle cap.

However, the results of the monitoring of nutrition and health status of Chinese residents show that the average daily salt intake of Chinese residents is as high as 10.5 grams, and 65% of adults have a salt intake of more than 6 grams.

3. The "salt value" of 4 types of food is not small, so learn to control it

In addition to the salt used for cooking, there are some foods that we usually eat that contain salt that should not be underestimated. If you eat too much, your salt intake may exceed the standard, so you must pay special attention.

1. Noodle products

Many people usually like to eat noodles, bread and other flour products, but in fact they are hidden high-salt foods! There are about 3 grams of salt per 100 grams of noodles , while most sliced ​​breads on the market contain more than 0.5 grams of salt per 100 grams, and some even as high as 1.5 grams per 100 grams. In other words, eating 1 bowl of dried noodles (about 50 grams) or 4 slices of bread (about 100 grams) a day already accounts for about a quarter of the recommended daily salt intake.

The reason why the amount of salt in flour products is high is that salt can stabilize the structure of food. When making flour products, salt is added to strengthen the strength of gluten, making it elastic and not easy to collapse.

It is recommended that you drink as little or no soup as possible when eating noodles; try to choose whole-wheat bread with high potassium content when eating bread, and eat less bread with sausage, butter, and meat floss; try not to eat bread when eating bread. Spread salad dressing or jam, etc., and you can serve with fresh vegetables such as cucumber slices and tomato slices.

2. Processed meat products

Processed meat products such as sausages and bacon are prepared with a lot of salt to add flavor, and some processed meat products also contain sodium in the additives used to retain moisture. Taking ham sausage as an example, a 105-gram ham sausage contains about 2.8 grams of salt.

It is recommended to eat more fresh meat and less processed meat products, especially children, the elderly and patients with high blood pressure. If you really want to eat it, it is recommended to eat it with fresh fruits and vegetables.

3. Candied fruit

Many people usually like to eat some candied fruits such as plums and raisins, but did you know that eating a pack of 35 grams of plums is equivalent to eating 16 grams of salt.

The reason why you don’t feel salty when you eat these candied fruits is that in addition to salt, they also add a lot of sugar during processing, which neutralizes the salty taste.

It is recommended to eat at most one or two tablets at a time to relieve hunger. When purchasing candied fruit, you can choose natural air-dried ones, because the more processing procedures, the less healthy they are.

4. Seasoning

In addition to controlling the amount of salt used when cooking, the salt content of seasonings such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken essence, and bean paste cannot be ignored . A spoonful of soy sauce (15ml) contains about 3 grams of salt, a spoonful of bean paste (15 grams) contains about 2.3 grams of salt, and a spoonful of chicken bouillon (5 grams) contains about 2 grams of salt. A dish made with these seasonings contains about 7 grams of salt even without adding salt.

It is recommended to use only one kind of salty seasoning when cooking, and at the same time reduce the amount of salt as appropriate. You can also add some vinegar in moderation to reduce the amount of salt.

Eating too much salt can affect your health, so pay attention to controlling your salt intake in your daily life. In addition to using less salt in cooking, you should also eat less processed products and snacks, and reduce the use of sauces, so as to reduce your salt intake.

References:

[1]Messerli F， Hofstetter L， Syrogiannouli L， Rexhaj E， Siontis G， Seiler C et al. Sodium intake， life expectancy， and all-cause mortality. European Heart Journal. 2020;42(21)：2103-2112.

[2] 65% of people eat too much salt! Nutritionist teaches you to control salt scientifically. Jingyitong, 2020-08-05

[3] [Health] 8 types of food have high "salt value", eating one day is enough for half a month's salt intake. People's Daily, 2018-04-01

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