High blood pressure is a “silent killer” in Anguilla. Too much salt intake is a significant risk factor for high blood pressure which, in turn, can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. There is little doubt that residents of Anguilla have a high intake of salt. Reducing the amount of salt in your diet can lower your risk of developing heart disease by 25 percent and the risk of dying from heart disease by 20 percent.

Why do we need salt?
Salt or sodium chloride is a commonly occurring mineral that is needed for the body to function normally. Sodium chloride (salt) is essential for good health and sodium helps to maintain the electrolyte balance inside and outside cells. Sodium also plays a crucial role in the transmission of electrical impulses in the nerves as well. We obtain most of our salt from processed foods and salt added during cooking or at the table. The recommended average daily consumption is 6 grams of salt a day, but the average daily intake by individuals is estimated to be between 9 and 10 grams a day. During the Christmas holiday season the average daily salt intake by Anguillians can easily exceed 20 grams a day.

Why is too much salt bad?
Very high levels of salt can cause the body to retain too much water and the volume of bodily fluids increases. Most researchers believe that this results in high blood pressure which is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. It has been know for centuries that salt intake affects blood pressure but recent studies have confirmed that high salt levels can be harmful and that stricter salt intake can reduce high blood pressure and also reduce the risk of dying from strokes and heart attacks.

Foods high in salt
Processed foods have a high content of salt. Salt-cured and salt-smoked foods, such as lunch meat, hot dogs, ham, olives, pickles and regular salted canned foods, have significantly high levels of salt. 75% of our salt intake comes from processed foods.
Other foods that have high salt levels include bread, meat and meat products, and breakfast cereals.

What can you do to reduce salt intake?
A recent clinical study found that individuals who reduce their salt intake were 25 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease 10 to 15 years after the study ended and there was also a 20 percent lower death rate from cardiovascular disease. Those individuals who have high blood reap significant benefits by reducing salt intake as well. All of us can reduce salt intake by doing the following:
• Carefully monitor the salt content of foods we eat, especially processed foods
• Stop adding table salt to food once it is served
• Choose items with reduced sodium content
• Individuals should read food labels for sodium content
• Eat more fruit and vegetables. They contain potassium which balances the effect of salt on the body.

Conclusion
Salt intake by many residents of Anguilla is believed to be excessive and might be one factor contributing to the high incidence and prevalence of high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading cause of death in Anguilla and strategies aimed at decreasing salt intake by all should be developed by our public health professionals. Everybody should look to reduce the amount of salt in his or her diet. The benefits are tremendous.

Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. Dr. Brett Hodge is an obstetrician/gynaecologist and family doctor who has over twenty years in clinical practice. Dr. Hodge has a medical practice in the Johnson Building in The Valley.

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