Reducing salt consumption is the way to a healthy life

The WHO’s Global Initiative for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases emphasizes the dangers of excessive salt consumption and promotes a healthier lifestyle.

Excessive sodium intake contributes to hypertension, which affects more than 1.3 billion people worldwide, and increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, kidney stones, stomach cancer, and osteoporosis. In addition, excessive salt intake can damage the stomach lining and promote infection, which is a significant risk factor for stomach cancer. Breaking the habit of excessive salt intake is necessary to protect your heart, kidneys, brain, and overall health.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends consuming less than 5 grams of salt daily. This amounts to about one teaspoon. Unfortunately, most people exceed this amount due to high consumption of prepared and processed foods, as well as out of habit.

A recent study carried out in Ukraine has revealed an alarming fact: adults consume significantly more salt than recommended. According to the National STEPS Study, Ukrainians consume about 12.6 grams of salt per day, which is more than 2.5 times the WHO recommendation of 5 grams per day. At the same time, men consume significantly more salt than women. As a result, more than a third of the Ukrainian population suffers from high blood pressure, and men are more likely than women to suffer from hypertension. Salt consumption habits of Ukrainians have a strong influence on the development of chronic diseases. Therefore, doctors call for active action and recommend trying not to exceed the daily salt intake for at least a week.

Ukrainians consume between 2.5 and 4.25 g of salt daily with bread alone, which is half or more of the daily recommended amount of salt recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, each Ukrainian consumes about 250 g of bread per day, and the salt content of bread ranges from 1.07 to 1.7 g per 100 g. One piece of bread (30-40 g) can contain up to 0.68 g of salt. Sometimes the salt content can be much higher than this.

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine warns that reducing salt intake could help prevent the development of chronic non-communicable diseases, which cause about 80% of premature deaths in Ukraine each year. The amount of sodium we consume, mostly in the form of table salt, affects our overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Reducing the amount of salt, even in bread, is an important aspect of national strategies to reduce this morbidity. For two years now, Ukraine has had certain restrictions introduced as part of the school nutrition reform. For bread eaten in educational institutions and other places where children are present, the salt content should not exceed 0.45 g per 100 g of finished product. However, children and adults responsible for them must have the opportunity to eat healthier not only at school but also at home, as this will benefit everyone and, together with other measures, make Ukrainians healthier. It is also very important to strongly encourage food producers to review the formulation of their products to reduce salt content and provide consumers with healthier products, ensure proper labeling on packaging, and support public education campaigns.

Some countries have already successfully implemented measures to reduce salt consumption. For example, in Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland, the salt content of bread has decreased from 6% to 38%. In Ukraine, the Ministry of Health proposes that bread producers reduce the salt content to 0.9 g per 100 g by using herbs and spices to improve the taste of baked goods. If all producers heed this call, the implementation of these measures will help reduce overall salt consumption and improve the health of Ukrainians.

Head of the Laboratory of Nutrition Hygiene and Safety of Food Products,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Mariia HULICH

State Institution «Marzieiev Institute for Public Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine»

(date of publication on the website 19.03.2025)