Bread and breakfast cereals are the main cause of excessive salt consumption among children and young people. This is revealed in a study by the British Heart Foundation, published in Hypertension, which monitored the daily diet of 340 London students.
The researchers found that breads and cereals contribute more than a third (36 percent) of the daily salt intake, to which meat products contribute 19 percent and dairy products 11 percent.
The total intake is unfortunately much higher than the 6 g/day indicated for the adult by the WHO as the maximum threshold for maintaining good health. In detail, the diet of young people between the ages of 13 and 17 accumulates 7.55 g of salt per day, the research reports. This is a worrisome amount, as is that found among children (4.72 g/day at 8-9 years of age and 3.75 g/day at 5-6 years of age), for whom the risks are amplified by the body’s developmental condition.
The fact that the surveys are for the period 2007-2010 is not reassuring. Fats, sugars and salt added by the food industry are excessive still in 2014. Last chance to reverse course and reformulate prescriptions.
