A SEEMINGLY safe ingredient you add to every meal could be increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke, a study shows.
Many of us put a liberal sprinkle of salt on our food before digging in.
Though you might have taken doctors' warnings about the seasoning with a grain salt, new research has shown that adding salt to meals can increase your risk of heart problems by a fifth.
People who always season their dinners were 22 per cent more likely to suffer an irregular heartbeat than those who never or rarely use the condiment, Korean researchers found.
The condition, known medically as atrial fibrillation (AF), can increase your risk of stroke by five times.
Professor James Leiper, of the British Heart Foundation, said the study was “a healthy reminder” not to use too much salt.
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Lead author Dr Yoon Jung Park, of Kyungpook National University Hospital, said: “Our study indicates that lower frequency of adding salt to foods was associated with lower risk of AF.”
Atrial fibrillation is the UK’s most common heart rhythm disturbance, affecting around 1.4 million Brits.
It can cause the organ to beat too fast, causing problems like dizziness, shortness of breath and tiredness.
Previous research has shown eating too much salt can increase your risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to AF.
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The NHS recommends adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day – around a teaspoon.
The study, presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Amsterdam, looked at data from 395,682 Brits aged 40 to 70 for 11 years.
They were surveyed on how regularly they salted meals, ranging from “never/rarely”, “sometimes”, “usually” or “always” do so.
Researchers then tracked them over the four years to see how this affected their chances of developing the condition.
Compared to those who always salted their foods, those who never did were 18 per cent less likely to suffer AF.
Usual salters were 12 per cent less likely, while “sometimes” salters were 15 per cent less likely to.
Independent experts said the “valuable” study emphasises the need for people to cut salt in their diet.
Professor Leipner said: “It’s well known that eating too much salt can lead to health problems, including high blood pressure.
“As well as increasing your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, high blood pressure can also cause damage to your heart and this in turn can cause atrial fibrillation.
“The number of people diagnosed with AF has grown to 1.5million – an increase of 50 per cent over the past ten years.”
Mhairi Brown, of Consensus Action on Salt, Sugar and Health (CASSH) said: "Decades of high quality research shows that eating too much salt is a major cause of high blood pressure.
“High blood pressure is responsible for around half of all strokes and heart disease, and the WHO recommends salt reduction as one of the most cost-effective and impactful measures to reduce blood pressure and protect health.
"The Government’s analysis shows if we cut one gram of salt a day, this would reduce blood pressure and there would be around 4,000 fewer premature deaths from strokes and heart attacks a year.
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“This new research is a valuable addition to the evidence base and reinforces the need for strict policies that would help lower the amount of salt in our food and protect our health from avoidable deaths."
It comes after scientists found high levels of salt and sugar in foods marketed as 'healthy'.
Ways to reduce your salt intake
LIMITING the amount of salt you eat doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck eating bland food for life.
There are a number of ways you can cut the amount you eat, according to the NHS, which include:
- adding flavour to your food with your food with herbs and spices, black pepper, garlic, chili or lemon juice
- taste your food before adding extra salt to meals, as it might not actually need it
- check the salt content of products and look out for ones with green and amber colour-coded labels on the front of the packaging
- try low or reduced-salt versions of foods and sauces
- buy tinned vegetables, pulses or fish in water instead of brine
- only have cured meats and fish, cheese, olives and pickles in small amounts
Source: NHS
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