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| Ditch you salt cellar, says cancer expert |
January 28, 2008
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Ditch you salt cellar, says cancer expert
A leading cancer expert has issued a call for people in the UK to get rid of
the salt from their dinner table at the start of National Salt Awareness
Week.
Professor Martin Wiseman, Medical and Scientific Adviser for World Cancer
Research Fund (WCRF), has warned that people who add salt to their meals
could be increasing their risk of cancer.
Research has shown that too much salt is probably a cause of stomach cancer,
and this is why WCRF recommends that people have no more than 6g of salt per
day. But most people have more than this and an estimated 10 to 15 per cent
of our salt intake is added at the dinner table or during cooking.
Professor Wiseman said: “As a nation we have far too much salt in our diet.
While many people know that having too much salt increases risk of high
blood pressure, there is not the same level of awareness that it is probably
also a cause of stomach cancer.
“Because salt is added by food manufacturers, there is too much of it in our
food before it even reaches our dinner table. But by adding extra salt to a
meal, you are only making things worse.
“You can reduce the amount of salt in your diet by shopping sensibly and
buying less processed food, but one easy thing you can do to reduce your
salt intake is not to have it on your dinner table.
“Your taste buds will soon adjust to not having added salt, allowing you to
appreciate the true taste of food and to notice more subtle flavours. And
for extra flavour, try adding spices, herbs, garlic, or lemon to your food.”
For more information on reducing your salt intake, and for low salt recipes,
visit the WCRF website at www.wcrf-uk.org
ENDS
For more information contact Richard Evans on 020 7343 4253.
Notes to editors:
- While experts suggest not having any more than 6g of salt per day,
research shows that men in the UK consume an average of 11g a day, while
women consume an average of 8g.
- Research shows that about three quarters of the salt in our diets comes
from processed food, and people should check food labels and choose products
with less salt.
- If a food label only talks about the amount of sodium in it, you can work
out how much salt is in it by multiplying it by 2.5. As a general rule, food
with 1.5g of salt per 100g or higher is high in salt, while if it has 0.3g
per 100g or lower it is low in salt, but always bear in mind that you should
not be having more than 6g a day. |
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