East salt sparingly- sprinkle, don't shake!

East salt sparingly- sprinkle, don't shake! The salt-blood pressure hypothesis states that an excessive salt intake leads to an increase in blood pressure in genetically susceptible persons and, if high intake is maintained long term, ultimately leads to sustained hypertension. It is estimated that about 3.3 million South Africans (12.6 % and 16.3 % of adult men and women, respectively) are hypertensive. However, not all subjects within a particular population respond equally to exposure to high-salt diets. Methods to identify those who are 'salt sensitive ' remain in the research domain; therefore a population approach to the restriction of dietary salt intake is warranted. The message to 'eat salt sparingly ' will not interfere with the current nutritional and legal requirements regarding iodation of table salt. A salt intake as low as 5 g per day would provide an adequate amount of iodine, provided the salt is sufficiently iodated. Dietary factors other than sodium which have been shown to influence blood pressure include potassium, magnesium, calcium and alcohol. The 'Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension' (DASH) randomised controlled trial found that subjects fed a diet rich in fruit and vegetables for 8 weeks significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with subjects on a typical American control diet. A 'combination ' diet, rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and with a reduce