The influence of salt on health and salt consumption in the Czech Republic

The salt intake in the Czech Republic is almost three times higher than the daily recommended amount. The excessive consumption of salt has impacts on health and wellbeing in many ways. It causes or affects the course of several illnesses, including arterial hypertension, osteoporosis, asthma bronchiale, kidney diseases, gastric cancer, obesity or oedema. The theoretical part of this dissertation describes the mechanisms by which the salt acts on the body and the relationships between the diseases listed above and the salt intake. The aim of this paper is to explore the eating habits around salt intake amongst the healthcare professionals. Furthermore, it investigates the understanding and interest in this matter amongst this group of people. Anonymised questionnaires were the chosen research method for this paper. The questionnaire, comprising of 17 questions, was sent to 12 different instituts and clinics at a hospital in Prague. In total, 174 healthcare professionals took part in this research. The results showed that the participants took interest in ingredients and nutritional value of their food, however, only a minority paid attention to the salt content. One of the most consumed types of food with a high content of salt are: white cheese, blue cheese, salami and smoked meats. Though savoury..