Food and Diet
- A Well Balanced Diet
- Balance in Life and Health
- Food and Caloric Table
- Food and Deficiency Diseases
- Fiber Sources and Benefits
- Fiber Quantity and Supplements
- Food for Mood
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- Food and Nutrition Facts
- Greens - Power House of Nutrition
- Good Nutrition Woman's Health
- Health Diet After Delivery
- Health Benefits - Royal Jelly
- Health Benefits of Sea Food
- Health Food - Carbohydrate Counting
- Health Food - Vegetable Soups and Salads
- Health Food - Protein Nuts and Natural Chocolates
- Health Food - Risk From Salt
- Health Food -Vitamins and Minerals
- How Food is Related to Health and Fitness
- How Should Our Food Be?
- Learn Your Food Groups
- Vitamin-B Sources and Benefits
Healthy Life Factors
Food and Nutrition
Hidden risk from salt.
Parents are risking the health of their kids by inadvertently feeding them with foods containing high salt content, a new study has found.
According to the study, carried out by the consensus action on Salt and Health in Britain, the parents are actually not aware of the hidden salt content or sodium content in popular foods and the dangers of eating them. The researchers have found that foods regularly eaten by children, such as some pizzas and burgers, contain over one gm of salt or sodium content per serving – almost a third of the recommended daily limit for four to six year olds.
The study has also revealed that many sweet foods have high salt content or sodium content, but few parents are aware of this. “Keeping children’s salt consumption below the recommended maximum limits is vital. Research shows that children who eat higher salt diets have higher blood pressure than children who eat less salt.
It’s also well established that blood pressure tracks into adulthood, with the risk of developing heart disease as well as stroke. Too much salt content or sodium content is also linked with stomach cancer, osteoprosis and can aggravate the symptoms of asthma,” the British media quoted Chairman of the Consensus Action on Salt and Health Graham MacGregor as saying.
The researchers came to the conclusion after carrying out a survey in Britain. Carrie Bolt, the lead researcher, said: “We surveyed single food items but when we look at children’s diets and family meal choices as a whole there is cause for concern. For example, we found that a meal containing beans and a burger could contain as much as 4.2g salt – fat more salt in a single meal than children up to the age of six years should be eating in a whole day.”
“What we need is clear food labeling. Some food companies have reduced their salt content or sodium content in recent years and this needs to continue, but having good information is key, “ he was quoted as saying.