6 monthly injections or “brain zapping” with electric pulses are among the most recent medical research topics to try and reduce blood pressure, a condition that affects around 14 million people in the UK.
Research shows that 40 percent of patients with diagnosed high blood pressure do not take their medication as instructed and so scientists are looking for other forms of control. As scientific endeavours, these initiatives are interesting, but surely, prevention is always better than cure? We know for instance that in the UK by reducing excess salt in our diets to an average salt intake of just 6g per day we could prevent around 8,000 premature deaths and save the NHS over £570 million annually.
The Government has made it clear that salt intake needs to reduce and has provided voluntary salt targets for food manufacturers but progress has slowed down recently.
What is required is a new mind set around salting and seasoning of all the food we eat based on an approach that would help to maintain normal blood pressure and improve population health.
The use of foods that correct the mineral composition of processed foods, cooking salts or seasonings by replacing or reducing sodium with potassium and magnesium salts has been suggested as a means of addressing both the dominance of sodium, and the mineral inadequacies or imbalances of minerals in our diets (1). In this way balanced mineral salts, become the new “salt”.
Whilst many consumers know that too much salt is bad for them, they want good tasting alternatives that provide them with something more. Suölo® Reduced Sodium Sea Salt and Seasonings use a combination of essential minerals, magnesium and potassium, to reduce sodium by 50 percent but still provide great taste. It is the perfect replacement for salt in all types of foods and provides a simple solution to reduce salt intake.
- Karpannen et al., 2005. Why and how to implement sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium changes in food items and diets. Journal of Human Hypertension 19, S10-19