Cebu Province - Nowadays, especially that we are still in this pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs, and it is sad to know that many families become food insecure due to the loss of jobs and other opportunities when the establishments they are working were closed.
Food insecure families can only afford to buy dried fish, instant noodles, and ‘bagoong’ which is high in salt content, not knowing that it can cause more health problems to the individual and their family as well.
High salt intake is the major cause of raised blood pressure and thereby increases cardiovascular risk. A study published in American Heart Association journal shows high salt intake is an independent risk factor for obesity. It is well established that high-salt (1 g salt=0.4 g sodium) intake is the major cause of raised blood pressure and accordingly leads to cardiovascular diseases. Recently, several lines of evidence have also shown that high salt intake is associated with an increased risk of obesity. One reason for this association is that high salt intake stimulates thirst and increases fluid intake and thereby increasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. It has been shown that 1-g/d increase in salt intake is associated with an increase in sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption of 27 g/d in children and adolescents. The association between salt and obesity may also be partially caused by excessive consumption of processed food that is high in both calorie and salt. However, increasing evidence suggests that there may be a direct link between salt intake and obesity independent of total energy intake.
The study concludes a direct association between salt intake and obesity independent of energy intake. Obesity increases blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. High salt intake is associated with obesity through its effect on increasing the sugar-sweetened beverage consumption.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 5 g (just under a teaspoon) of salt per day. For children: WHO recommends that the recommended maximum intake of salt for adults be adjusted downward for children aged two to 15 years based on their energy requirements relative to those of adults. Parents remind their children and other family members to follow Kumainment No. 8 – Hinay-hinay sa maaalat, matamis at mamantikang pagkain. Mothers and home makers should pick a proper food to cook and prepare for their children. Instead of instant noodles, they can serve egg that is rich in protein while the egg yolk is rich in iodine content. We should be careful and mindful on the choice of food we give to our children. // NO II Hazel Mae A. Monterde, RN
