Substituting salt may lower health risk

Replacing common salt with substitute salt may improve health outcomes, a new study has found. The five-year study was conducted in China on 20995 people who previously had a stroke or were aged 60 years or above with high blood pressure.

Half the participants were provided with substitute salt containing 75 per cent sodium chloride and 25 per cent potassium chloride. The other half was provided with common salt which contains 100 per cent sodium chloride. The results have shown that people who consumed substitute salt had a 14 per cent reduced risk of developing a stroke and a 12 per

cent lowered risk of death. Substitute salt also lowered the risk of heart disease significantly. The current guidelines of the World Health Organisation recommend salt consumption of less than 5 g (or one teaspoon) a day. Consult your dietician to know the ideal quantity of salt consumption for you.