The Federal Government Expresses Concern Over High Salt Intake in Nigeria
The federal government is worried about the alarming levels of salt intake in Nigeria, with Nigerians consuming between 5.8 to 25 grams of dietary salt per day, surpassing the WHO’s recommended intake of 2 grams of sodium and 5 grams of salt. This excessive salt consumption contributes to elevated blood pressure, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, heart attacks, and strokes.
In efforts to address this issue, the WHO is urging countries to adopt global sodium benchmarks and reduce their populations’ sodium intake. The UN body is also calling on the industry to reformulate food products to contain less salt/sodium. The 2024 Salt Awareness Week, held in Abuja, highlighted the detrimental effects of high salt intake on health, emphasizing the need for sodium reduction strategies to prevent costly medical treatments associated with diseases caused by excessive salt consumption.
Various initiatives, such as the development of a National Guideline for Sodium Reduction and the National Sodium Benchmark, are underway to combat the silent epidemic of non-communicable diseases caused by high salt intake in Nigeria. Together, these efforts aim to promote healthier dietary habits and reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases linked to excessive salt consumption.