The excess of salt doubles the risk of heart attack

Nitrub/Epictura

Published the 28.08.2017 at 12h04

A A

Keywords :

selnutritionrisque cardiovascular

The epidemic of obesity that wins the western countries has focused prevention efforts to the nutrition intake in fat and sugar. In the recommendation ” Avoid eating too much fat, too salty, too sweet, too salty, no longer has the same resonance.

However, its impact on health is not negligible. According to a study presented this weekend at the annual congress of the european Society of cardiology (ESC), doubling salt intake in the diet, we double also the risk of cardiac event.

2.5 million dead

These results are from a Finnish study conducted on more than 4 600 people aged 25 to 64 years of age. The researchers followed their health status for more than 20 years, between 1979 and 2002, through questionnaires, by monitoring their diet and their weight, and performing blood and urine tests at regular intervals. And the conclusions are clear.

The participants in the study were classified in five groups that are equivalent, in function of their salt intake. The difference between the first and the last group is obvious. “People who consume more of 13.7 g of sodium per day have twice the risk of heart attack than those who consume less than 6.8 g “, summarizes professor Pekka Jousilahti from the Finnish Institute of health and welfare, one of the authors of the study.

According to the world health Organization (WHO), the excess salt would be responsible for 2.5 million deaths per year. She recommends not to exceed 5 g/day. The national Programme nutrition health (PNNS), to eat or to move, is a little more tolerant. It considers as being acceptable to consume 6 g/day, which represents the equivalent value for salt, pure a piece of sugar standard.