Salt and Health Facts
Reducing average salt intake by 3 grams per day would be expected to lead to a 22% reduction in deaths from strokes and a 16% reduction in deaths from coronary heart disease
Australian Health
- High blood pressure accounts for 60% of all strokes and 50% of all heart disease
- High blood pressure causes the third greatest burden of disease in Australia after tobacco smoking and physical inactivity
- High blood pressure is the most frequently managed problem in general medical practice in Australia
- As many as 28% of Australians may have high blood pressure, and over half of people with high blood pressure are going untreated
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in Australia, claiming the lives of 46,134 people in 2005, or 35% of all deaths
- In 2005, nearly nine times as many women died from cardiovascular disease than died from breast cancer
Salt Consumption
- In Australia, the estimated average consumption of salt is 10 grams per day for men and 7 grams per day for women
- 75% or more of our salt intake comes from processed foods