March 9, 2023
Too much salt is killing us — and we need to stop looking away from the problem, according to a new report from the World Health Organization.
The world is not on track to achieve the goal of a 30 per cent reduction in sodium intake by 2025, the report found, and if we don’t take drastic steps to reduce our salt intake quickly, it could lead to millions of unnecessary deaths.
“Unhealthy diets are a leading cause of death and disease globally, and excessive sodium intake is one of the main culprits,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in a press release. “This report shows that most countries are yet to adopt any mandatory sodium reduction policies, leaving their people at risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health problems. WHO calls on all countries to implement the ‘Best Buys’ for sodium reduction, and on manufacturers to implement the WHO benchmarks for sodium content in food.”