World statistics show that more than 90% of adults and 96% of children under the age of 4 consume more than the recommended salt intake. If a child consumes a large amount of salt, he gets used to salty food, and this habit remains for life. Snacks and nuts popular among teenagers are also often high in salt.
Salt is not poison. Health risks are associated specifically with excessive consumption.
The chemical formula of salt is NaCl (sodium chloride). Both sodium and chlorine are necessary for the full functioning of the human body. However, sodium deficiency is very rare in the modern world, and sodium excess is all too common.
An excess of sodium leads to an increase in blood pressure and disorders of the cardiovascular system. Children with excess sodium in their diet have high blood pressure 40% more often than those who consume the recommended amount of salt.
You need to be especially careful with the use of salt in the diet of children who have increased blood pressure, who have diabetes, metabolic disorders, excess weight, and chronic kidney disease.
Recommendations for the use of salt
It is better to limit the use of ready-made packaged foods, semi-finished products, snacks (they usually contain the most salt)
• Salting food is better after cooking, rather than salting water. So you will consume less salt
• If you use salt when cooking at home, choose iodized salt. This helps to avoid iodine deficiency in the diet and promotes the development of intellectual abilities. In addition, iodine is critically important for the functioning of the thyroid gland, metabolism and the development of the entire body (more about the importance of iodine in chapter 6)
• The receptors of adults and children work differently. Therefore, if it seems to you that the food is fresh, it does not mean that it is fresh for your child