DASH DIET 

1. Introduction

• A recent study showed a higher incidence of heart attacks, heart failure & strokes with a higher frequency of adding salt to one's food.
• Over 1.76 lakh participants from the UK Biobank were followed up for an average of 11.8 years.
• Nearly 7,000 heart attacks & over 2,000 strokes were documented during this period.

2. DASH Diet

• After adjusting for all other risk factors, it was found that adding less salt to food was associated with fewer heart attacks & strokes.
• This was found to be true even in participants who were following the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).
• DASH is the best-recommended diet to prevent cardiovascular events.
• DASH diet involves eating fruits, vegetables, lean meat, poultry, nuts, and whole grains & reducing the intake of saturated fats, cholesterol & strong.
• There is a paucity of large & reliable studies estimating the daily salt intake in our country.
• A consumption of more than 10 grams per day, far exceeding the recommendation is almost half.
• A study conducted showed a 10% prevalence of hypertension.
• Intake of salt may be worse in Indians since pickles are often introduced early in life.
• The hidden salt in preserved & packaged foods cannot be forgettable.
• Consumers are not given choice to choose food items based on salt content.

3. Sodium Content

• Ordinary consumer is not aware that 1 gram of sodium is 2.5 grams of salt.
• A product is available in two forms-normal & low salt content like the fat content in milk.
• Salt substitutes are good since the majority of them contain up to 25% potassium chloride.
• A study found that salt substitutes reduced the incidence of stroke & heart attack by almost 10%.

For Prelims & Mains