Dr Dulcy gives health advice

FACT: 90% OF ADULTS WILL DEVELOP HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES Salt is not all bad and evil.

Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is about 40% sodium and 60% chloride. It adds flavour to food and is also used as a preservative, binder and stabiliser.

The human body needs a very small amount of sodium – the primary element we get from salt – to conduct nerve impulses, contract and relax muscles, and maintain the proper balance of water and minerals. But too much sodium in the diet can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. It is estimated that 90% of adults will develop high blood pressure at some point in their lives. Most people consume at least 1.5 teaspoons of salt per day, which contains far more sodium than our bodies need. Just one teaspoon contains 2 300mg of sodium.

Even if you don’t shake salt on your food, chances are you’re still eating too much of it. Most of the sodium people consume comes from processed and restaurant foods; such as bread, frozen food entrees, processed snack foods, luncheon meats, canned soups, and cheeses. Some common places where salt hides are restaurant foods; prepared pasta sauces, which may contain as much as 900mg sodium in a half-cup; cereals, including some targeted for children that contain 200mg to 300mg sodium per cup; instant bread and muffin mixes; cottage cheese, which can have as much as 400mg per half cup; and condiments such as ketchup, which has 190mg of sodium per tablespoon.

The government recommends limiting daily sodium intake to one teaspoon. However, nearly 70% of adults are at risk of developing health problems associated with salt consumption, and it is recommended that the following at-risk individuals should limit their daily sodium intake to 2/3 of a teaspoon: People over the age of 50 People who have high or slightly elevated blood pressure

People who have diabetes

People with chronic kidney disease People with heart problems There is a big misconception that sea salt is a low-sodium alternative to table salt. The reality is that table salt and sea salt are the same chemically. Both types of salt contain the same amount of sodium, ounce for ounce: 2 300mg per teaspoon. The difference is how the two salts are produced. Sea salt and regular salt both come from salted bodies of water – sea salt is produced when salt water evaporates, and regular table salt comes from mining underground salt deposits. That is the only difference.

Note that salt is not all bad and evil. Some sodium is necessary for human survival. Your body cannot make it and your cells need it to function. In small amounts, sodium helps maintain the correct balance of fluids in your body, and it is also a key player in muscle contraction and relaxation. Sodium also makes the process of sweating possible, allowing you to cool down and avoid dehydration and heat stroke, too. You are constantly losing sodium through sweat and urine, and if you do not replenish that sodium and water, your blood pressure may drop far enough to make you dizzy and light-headed. Consuming too little salt can lead to muscle spasms, irregular heart rhythms, and feelings of weakness. It is important that you consume it in moderation, 1 teaspoon a day if you are healthy, and 2/3 of a teaspoon per day if you have the mentioned risk factors.

With 6.3 million people living with high blood pressure, South Africa has one of the highest rates of hypertension worldwide. This makes South Africans more susceptible to life-threatening diseases such as stroke and heart disease. Statistics show that about 130 heart attacks and 240 strokes occur daily in South Africa. This means that 10 people will suffer a