According to the Malaysian Deputy Health Minister, Dr Lee Boon Chye, the salt intake among Malaysians is at an alarming level. Based on the Malaysian Community Salt Study 2017/18 (My CoSS 2017/2018), the average salt intake per day among Malaysians is 7.9g or 1.6 teaspoons.
The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 2,300mg of salt a day ( 1 teaspoon of salt a day) for an adult.
Consuming more than the daily requirements will exert extra work and pressure that can (over time) stiffen blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
It can also lead to heart failure. There is also some evidence that too much salt can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys without increasing blood pressure, and that it may be bad for bones, too.
Watch the video below to learn a few simple tips to help you reduce daily salt intake.
Reference:
1. The Nutrition Source. (2019). Health Risks and Disease Related to Salt and Sodium. [online] Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium/sodium-health-risks-and-disease/ [Accessed 29 Sept. 2019].
Image Credit:
1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/5-ways-to-use-less-salt
In collaboration with Dosing Health.
