Accessibility/Mobile Features
Skip Navigation
Skip to Content
Editorial News
Opinion
Classified Sites

The View from the West

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Too many Canadians dying for salt

Canadians are a salty people. They are dying for their salt. One in every eight heart attacks and strokes is caused by salt. Isn't that stupid, to die for salt?

Others were just as salty, but they did something about it. Japan decided in the 1950s that it had a problem with salt intake. Finland made the same decision in the 1970s, and the United Kingdom got serious early in this decade. All have managed to reduce the consumption of salt. But Canada -- though it has a two-year-old Sodium Working Group, chaired by Health Canada -- has yet to truly tackle the problem. The working group needs to get to work.

It may be that Canadians' patience for another public-health campaign is limited. There have been smoking, trans-fat, exercise and obesity campaigns, among others. Public-health fatigue may be setting in. But there's a strong argument for paying attention to salt.

Excessive salt intake is the biggest cause of high blood pressure and high blood pressure is the world's leading cause of death and the second-biggest cause of disability, after malnutrition in children. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the chance of dying young from stroke or coronary heart disease.

"The diversity and strength of the evidence is much greater than other lifestyle factors, for example, overweight, low consumption of fruit and vegetables and lack of physical exercise," an article in the Journal of Human Hypertension reported last year... Fifty years ago, Japan took action on salt after finding that its high death rates from stroke were directly related to salt consumption. The successful campaign that followed cut death rates from stroke by 80 per cent. At a time when western influence was becoming apparent ... blood pressure did not rise, because salt intake was falling.

Finland has cut its salt intake by 30 per cent since the 1970s, partly by working with the food industry to develop reduced-salt products; the salt reductions helped cut death rates from stroke and coronary heart disease by 80 per cent, and life expectancy increased five to six years.

Britain found that 80 per cent of salt was added by industry -- restaurants and makers of processed food -- and so it set voluntary salt-reduction targets for 80 categories of food in grocery stores. The approach was gradual enough that people didn't notice the change in taste. Salt has since been cut in most groceries by 20 to 30 per cent. Traffic-light labelling -- red for high-salt, green for low-salt -- drives the point home to consumers.

On average, Canadians consume 3,092 milligrams of salt a day, though the daily maximum recommended by Health Canada is 2,300. That means a 25 per cent cut in salt intake is required. The problem is too big, and too embedded in too many foods, for consumers to solve on their own; governments, working with health experts and industry representatives, should look closely at the British model. Canadians should not be dying for salt.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 2, 2009 A10

  • Rate this Rate This Star Icon
  • This article has not yet been rated.
  • We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.

    You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.

    Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.

1 Commentscomment icon

I like the Brit's idea of imposing salt reductions on industry gradually so that people get used to it and not automatically reach for the shaker. It would be great if the Canadian government followed that lead.

Post Your Commentcomment icon

Comment
  • You have characters left

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Special Coverage

  1. Faith Enduring

    A look at Manitoba’s Ukrainian community through their churches

  2. The Forgotten Disease

    The fight to eradicate tuberculosis is far from over.

  3. Flu Fight

    News about the world's battle against the H1N1 flu pandemic

  4. Follow the Way!

    Join United Way on its journey toward lasting change and better lives.

More Special Coverage

Alerts

  1. Winnipeg road closures

    Check if your commute is affected

  2. Editor's Bulletin

    Sign up for daily bulletins

  3. Blogs to Watch

    We pick our favourite local blogs for you to follow

  4. Breaking News Widget

    Create and embed a Winnipeg Free Press breaking news widget on your site or blog

Advertisement

Ads by Google