Salt: Looking Beyond The Taste Enhancer

More than just a taste enhancer, salt is vital part of every household, serving functions that extend beyond cooking.

Scientists have proved that salt, also known as sodium chloride, is used as a cleaning substance, essential ingredient in food preservation and disinfectant, among others.

Some scientists at Duke University Medical Centre, Unitd States say that research shows that the body craves for salt in a similar way that addicts crave for addictive substances such as heroin, cocaine and nicotine.

Dieticians note that people often add more salt to their food until they get the desired taste without considering the effects.

But as useful as salt is, Dr Emmanuel Agaba, a Consultant Nephrologist and Head, Renal Unit, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, warns that when a diet is high in salt, it can injure the kidneys.

“When a meal high in salt is consumed, the kidneys work harder to filter an increased volume of blood.

“If you cut back on your sodium intake, you reduce your kidneys’ workload and lower your blood pressure. This, in turn, decreases your risk for stroke, heart disease and kidney disease,” he says.

Apart from kidney failure, excessive salt is linked to heartburn, hypertension, ulcers and gastric cancer, among other related ailments.

Agaba insists that high intake of salt could increase blood pressure which, in turn, could damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys, making it difficult for the kidneys to filter wastes from the blood.

“It is the job of kidneys to regulate blood, remove waste and also to control the acid base balance within the body.

“When they stop functioning, waste products and fluids would build up in the body and this can be deadly

“The only options when a kidney is damaged are dialysis or a kidney transplant which is very expensive; and so, prevention is the key,” he warns.

Dr Dele Tajudeen, the President of Association of Resident Doctors, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), who lists hypertension as one of the side effects of excessive salt intake; advises people to reduce their salt intake.

“Medical record shows that 4.3 million Nigerians above 15 years of age are suffering from hypertension.

“Available statistics also show that high blood pressure is on the rise in Nigeria and it is affecting more of the urban folks than it affects their rural counterparts.

“And the World Health Organisation (WHO) attributes hypertension among Nigerians to high consumption of salt and fat, low consumption of fruits and vegetables and lack of physical activity,” he says.

Sharing similar sentiments, Prof. Dan Bauchi, a cardiologist at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, says: “Although salt is good for the body, excessive intake of it can be detrimental.’’

He suggests that families, students and the public ought to be educated on the recommended quantity of salt which could be consumed without any side effects.

“The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute had recommended that salt intake should not exceed 2.4 grammes per day, being about one teaspoon of table salt.

“But if you have high blood pressure or other risk factors, you should further limit your sodium intake to 1.5 grammes per day,” he advises.

Dr Femi Afolabi, a dietician with Federal Medical Centre, Lagos, insists that another way through which people are exposed to excessive salt intake is via the consumption of readymade meals and canned foods.

“People should avoid these processed foods; a lot of sodium has been used in their preparation because salt helps to preserve food by drawing out moisture and keeping out bacteria,” she says.

Afolabi, therefore, advises people to always strive to cook their foods to enable them to control the quantity of salt they consume.

She stresses that people can conserve their food’s flavour by exploring cooking methods like steaming, roasting, baking, stir-frying, micro-waving or barbecuing.

“Boiling foods can result in loss of potassium and flavour into the boiling water; this may entice you to add salt after cooking.

“If fresh vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs and fish need more flavour, preferably use dried herbs, spices and vinegars, not just salt, to create the flavour you desire.

“Besides, rinse canned foods and meats to remove the excess salt and try to choose breakfast cereals that are lower in sodium,” she says.

Analysts, however, argue that ignorance about the dangers of salt is one of the driving forces behind excessive sodium consumption.

They cite a report by The Sunday Leader, an English-language Sri Lankan newspaper, that people with high blood pressure who significantly reduced the amount of salt in their diet were able to decrease their chances of developing hypertension by 25 per cent.

They, therefore, call for an aggressive public awareness campaign against excessive consumption of salt, insisting that people ought to know the repercussions of their craving for tasty, salty meals.

Okeniyi writes for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Olayemi Okeniyi