Salt intake in Germany, health consequences, and resulting recommendations for action
- 15.03.2016
- English Articles
- Daniela Strohm
- Heiner Boeing
- Eva Leschik-Bonnet
- Helmut Heseker
- Ulrike Arens-Azevedo
- Angela Bechthold
- Leonie Knorpp
- Anja Kroke
A scientific statement from the German Nutrition Society (DGE)
Introduction and objective
High salt intake is directly associated with the level of blood pressure and the risk of hypertension and is thus also indirectly associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. On the basis of systematically collected scientific results, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has therefore made a clear recommendation that salt intake in the population should be reduced [1]. In many countries, salt intake is considerably higher than 5–6 g/day, the approximate values endorsed by various professional scientific bodies. For this reason, many countries (Europeand world-wide) have developed a national strategy to reduce salt intake and are trying to achieve gradual reduction in salt intake by behavioural and, particularly, structural prevention. No national strategy to reduce salt intake has yet been developed in Germany.
The aim of the present statement is on the one hand to summarise the results published by the WHO on the association between salt intake and the prevention of nutrition- related diseases [1]. This will be complemented by current systematic reviews and meta-analyses and related to current German health data. On the other hand, the aim is to critically examine the current approximate value for salt intake and finally to derive a recommendation for action.
Summary
This scientific statement from the German Nutrition Society (DGE) summarises evidence-based knowledge regarding the association between salt intake and the prevention of nutrition-related diseases. This knowledge is brought together with recent data on salt intake in Germany as well as with descriptive epidemiological data on cardiovascular diseases. On this basis, the DGE emphasises the necessity of reducing salt intake in the population, in order to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. The DGE confirms the current approximate value of up to 6 g salt intake/day and derives a recommendation for action. In order to decrease salt intake in the population, salt must be reduced in processed foods such as bread, meat, sausages and cheese. The DGE urgently recommends that Germany should participate in national and international initiatives to reduce salt intake in the whole population.
Keywords: salt, blood pressure, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases
