How to reduce salt and sugar intake

We tell you what you can do to make it happen.

Salt

Salt or sodium is found in small amounts in most foods - a little more in animal foods, a little less in plant foods. More often than not, people get much more sodium than they need, mostly in the form of table salt. Its average consumption is 12-14 g per person per day.

It is recommended to limit sodium intake to 2000 mg per day, which corresponds to about 5 g of table salt (1 teaspoon). In some cases, a stricter restriction is required.

How can I reduce my salt intake?

• Under-salt cooked food.
• Avoid pickles.
• Use less salt in cooking and replace it with spices and herbs.
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Are these measures enough? Unfortunately, no. A significant amount of salt enters food during industrial production. 

How to avoid "hidden" sodium?

• Try to eat less food that has been industrially processed and semi-finished products.
• Read product labels carefully:
• Study the "composition" section. Ingredients such as salt, baking soda, and any substance with the word "sodium" or its chemical symbol Na in its name will tell you that the product contains sodium;
• check the "nutritional value" section. Some manufacturers list the quantitative sodium content right there.

Interesting fact: sodium is part of many medicines, including over-the-counter medicines. For example, it is found in antacids (drugs that reduce the acidity of gastric juice), laxatives and cough remedies. It is important to remember this if you take these medications regularly.

By reducing your salt intake, you can:

• reduce the amount of fluid retention in the body;
• lower blood pressure;
• reate more favorable conditions for the heart, kidneys, liver and joints.

Sugar

Sugars, or saccharides, are the common name for all simple (fast) carbohydrates. They occur in different forms, but the essence is the same: they are monosugars that are quickly broken down to release the glucose molecule.

All sugars that enter the body with food can be divided into two groups - natural (contained in unprocessed food) and added during processing (industrial or home). WHO uses the term "free sugars": in addition to added sugars, they include sugars naturally contained in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

It is recommended to limit the proportion of free sugars to 10% of the total caloric content of the diet. For an average diet of 2000 kcal, this is 50 g of sugar (5 teaspoons). A further reduction to 5% per day will bring additional health benefits.

How do I reduce my sugar intake?

• Do it gradually so as not to stress your body.
• Put less sugar in tea or coffee and when cooking.
• Quench your thirst with clean water, sugar-free morsels or compote rather than sugary drinks and juices.
• Do not forget about complex carbohydrates: replace white bread with black or gray (from coarse flour), refined cereals (white rice, semolina, corn) - whole grains (buckwheat, poltava, barley, pearl).
• Instead of desserts and sweets (including dried fruits and candied fruits) eat fresh or frozen fruits, berries, nuts.
• Consumption of too sweet fruits (bananas, grapes) should be limited.
• Give up ready-made sauces, eat less processed foods and convenience foods.

Just as in the case of salt, it is important to carefully study the composition of products on labels - after all, sugar can be contained in the most unexpected products, for example, in sausage or milk. In industrial production, sucrose, fructose, glucose, glucose and other syrups, barley malt, dextrin, dextrose, lactose, maltose are often used - look for these names in the composition of products.

It is important to know that sugar substitutes should be used with caution, as their effect on the body is still poorly understood and there are no international or national recommendations for their use.

By reducing sugar intake, you can:

• reduce the risk of overweight, the development of obesity;
• normalize the digestive process;
• improve the cardiovascular system;
• reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes;
• reduce the risk of tooth decay;
• strengthen the immune system.