Elderly need an extra pinch of salt

September 23, 2004

22/09/2004 - As the UK launches a drive to reduce salt in the consumer

diet, a recent study in Germany finds an extra dose of salt a day

could benefit the elderly.

Speaking at the European Geriatrics Congress in Vienna last week,

Professor Ingo Füsgen from the University of Witten-Herdecke claimed

that 10 per cent of older people suffer from sub-acute sodium

deficiency, which can result in problems such as nervous disposition,

hallucinations, muscle cramps and incontinence.

" Sodium deficiency is common for elderly people but it is often not

recognised, " said Professor Füsgen.

According to a survey Füsgen conducted, 80 per cent of elderly people

`try to consume salt sparingly due to a misapprehension that too much

salt causes high blood pressure'. He maintains that a low salt diet is

not appropriate for the majority of elderly people.

" Many older people are not aware of the danger of a low salt diet and

try to reduce their consumption of salt because they assume it is

healthy, " he added.

Controversy linked to the most common food ingredient in the world

sparked off in June this year when UK health minister Melanie Johnson

rejected plans submitted by the industry to reduce salt levels,

accusing food manufacturer's of not going `nearly far enough.'

In a letter Johnson surprised over twenty food players - among them

Kerry Foods, Heinz, Sainsbury, and McDonalds - warning them they had

until 18 September to come back with a better plan to beat the

`unacceptably high levels of salt'.

" We are astonished, " a spokesperson from the UK Food and Drink

Federation told FoodNavigator.com at the time.

Eating too much salt is a significant risk factor in developing high

blood pressure, itself a cause or contributing factor in the rising

incidence of heart disease.

Recent figures from the UK's Food Standards Agency claim that every

day at least 26 million people eat more than the recommended daily

limit of 6g of salt. Men are eating the most with a daily average of

11.0g of salt while women consume an average of 8.1g a day.

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