Salt

By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter

Salt is essential for human life. It aids digestion and strengthens the kidneys and bones. A lack of salt can bring about muscle cramp, digestive problems and dizziness. Salt is used to enhance the flavor of food and is one of the most common minerals at tables.

However, too much salt can be fatal for the human body, which does not contain much of the substance. A 70 kilogram person has only 63 grams of sodium, which is a mere 0.09 percent. If you eat too much salt you are at risk of higher than normal blood pressure possibly resulting in a stroke.

Koreans are eating too much salt, experts said. According to a government report on the nutritional condition of Koreans, 13.5 grams of salt per day per person was being consumed, which is 2.7 times more than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended five grams. It is also higher than Japan's 10.7 grams and the United Kingdom's 11 grams.

A Korean Food and Drug Administration spokesperson said Koreans must watch their salt intake. ``As people eat more fast food, spicy food and fatty foods which contain lots of salt, there are possible threats of hypertension, brain and heart disease and even stomach cancer,'' she said. She warned that even children are being exposed to too much salt.

According to Consensus Action on Salt and Health Team in the U.K., six dishes at Pizza Hut contain 12.3 grams of salt per serving, which is obviously not recommendable to growing youngsters.

The Korea Dietetic Association designated Nov. 1 as ``Nutrition Day,'' especially focusing on salt intake. It suggested five points to be followed on different occasions to reduce our salt intake.

1. When choosing ingredients:
1) Choose fresh fish rather than salted.
2) Choose natural food over processed food.
3) When choosing processed food, make sure there is less sodium in it.
4) Try to choose less seasoned and salted seafoods.
5) Choose food with less salt.

2. When cooking:
1) Season at the last stage of cooking.
2) Use less salt. Use pepper, red pepper, spring onion, garlic, ginger, and onion instead.
3) When making kimchi, put in less seasoning.
4) For instant noodles, put in less seasoning.
5) Do not fry your fish with salt.

3. When eating:
1) Eat fresh vegetables instead of kimchi.
2) Use less soy sauce when eating fried food or sashimi.
3) When eating broth put in the spring onions and pepper before adding salt.
4) Eat your broth in a smaller bowl to eat less.
5) When eating out, ask the manager to lessen the amount of salt in your food.

bjs@koreatimes.co.kr