The significant changes in diet due to the high consumption of processed foods and seasoning loaded with high sodium has contributed to the development of unhealthy dietary behaviours in Nigeria.
Reducing the intake of salt is one of the most effective measures to improve health and reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases.
This can help to prevent many cardiovascular diseases and deaths at very low public health costs.
Health correspondent Kemi Balogun takes a look at the dangers of excess salt in food.
Sodium is an essential nutrient necessary for maintenance of body plasma volume; acid-base balance; transmission of nerve impulse and normal cell function.
But dietary sodium consumption which is dependent on cultural and dietary habits of citizens has led to over consumption.
This increase in high sodium consumption in Nigeria has also added to the risk of cardiovascular diseases, gastric cancer, obesity, and kidney disease.
The WHO recommends that member states reduce intake of salt by 30% by year 2025.
Study shows that in some parts of the country, an average adult consumes between 2.85g per day to 10g per day much higher than the 2gs of sodium which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon per day as recommended.
According to WHO, the excess of sodium intake is responsible for about 1.65 million deaths annually and average sodium intake in 181 countries is twice the level recommended, globally.
This sodium intake comes from a variety of natural foods like milk, meat, shellfish, and processed foods such as breads, processed meat, snacks, spices as well as in bouillon cubes.
A food vendor, Blessing Reuben says she adds salt in food without necessarily measuring, just to tickle her taste-buds, but she does not add salt in some other foods that have their own natural flavours.
Other residents eating at her small food stall don’t really care about the salt in food but are only worried if there is simply too much salt.
Help, however, seems to be on the way with government’s radar shifting to ensure that Nigerians reduce the consumption of salt through the inauguration of a national technical working group on the reduction of sodium consumption.
The Technical Working Group is also expected to coordinate the overall operationalisation of the developed National Guideline and set a timeline for its implementation using the integrated sodium reduction program of 2019 – 2025 national multi sectoral action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases.
