Salt or sugar ... which is worse?

Excessive intake of salt and sugar is associated with an increased risk of various diseases. However, some people ask if excessive intake of sugars is worse than excessive intake of products that contain large amounts of salt.

A report on the Russian "Chag Kzdarovi" website said that excessive consumption of sugar and salt has always been associated with a wide range of diseases. As a result, nutritionists recommend limiting their use as part of a package of measures to improve health.

According to the World Health Organization, consuming too much salt can - or help - develop high blood pressure and increase the incidence of heart disease and strokes. It recommends reducing its consumption to less than 5 grams per day.

The WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean says that the scientific evidence linking high blood pressure and high salt intake is conclusive. In countries where salt intake was reduced by 1 gram per person per day, deaths from stroke and heart attack decreased by more than 7%.

heart disease

Reducing salt intake to less than 5 grams per day can protect against cardiovascular disease, which is the number one killer in the world. Vascular disease is responsible for 17.3 million premature deaths in the world, and this number is expected to increase to 23 million by 2030.

According to the organization, salt is the main source of sodium in our diet, and can come from sodium glutamate and sodium chloride, and is used as a spice in many parts of the world.

In many countries, 80% of the salt intake comes from processed foods, such as bread, cheese, canned sauces, processed meats, and prepared meals.

The organization recommends that salt consumed from all sources, including prepared foods, ready-to-eat meals and homemade food, be less than 5 grams or less than a teaspoon per day.

What about sugar?

As for sugar, the World Health Organization recommends reducing its consumption so that it does not exceed 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, in order to preserve the health of the individual and protect him from being overweight and the resulting diseases.

The organization recommended reducing sugar consumption to less than 10% of a person's total energy consumption, which means 50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar for an adult.

The experts of the organization also stressed that reducing this amount to half, i.e. to six teaspoons, would give the body added health benefits, and advised to use nutritional alternatives to sugar in preparing foods and sweets, and excluded the sugar found naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk.

Sugar leads to tooth decay, as bacteria in the mouth analyze and digest sugar in food, producing acids that attack the surface of the tooth, which leads to the loss of minerals and the occurrence of caries in it. The relationship between tooth decay and sugar is established, and this includes juices, honey, molasses and sweets, all of which cause cavities.

Also, excessive intake of sugar may lead to malnutrition as a result of the person not obtaining the necessary nutrients such as vitamins and minerals such as calcium and dietary fiber. This is the result of eating large amounts of calories, but without a beneficial nutritional content. Excessive intake of sugar is also associated with an increased risk of weight gain and obesity.

Both are bad

Therefore, sugar and salt are both dangerous and bad, and it is advised to reduce them. In general, excessive intake of any product, regardless of type, is harmful to health.

A balanced and varied diet enables reasonable consumption of sugar and salt within medical recommendations, and helps to combine healthy preservation with food pleasure