Daily Post Nigeria Health minister cautions Nigerians against excess salt consumption Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport Health Health minister cautions Nigerians against excess salt consumption Published on May 22, 2024 By Ochogwu Sunday Prof. Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, has cautioned Nigerians against excess salt and sodium intake, saying it could cause hypertension and other heart diseases. Pate said this on Tuesday in Abuja at a news conference to commemorate the 2024 Salt Awareness Week, which has the theme”It’s Time to Shine the Spotlight on Salt.
” Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Ms Daju Kachollom, Pate said the Federal Government would increase public awareness of the dangers of excess salt intake. The minister said that not less than 10 per cent of cardiovascular disease deaths are attributed to the burden of excess sodium consumption in Nigeria. He said that there were varying estimates of the average daily intake of dietary sodium among Nigerian adults, ranging from 2.
3 to 10 grams per day, while the intake of dietary salt ranged from 5.8 to 25 grams per day. Pate said that this figure was significantly higher than the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendations for a daily intake of 2 grams of sodium and 5 grams of salt.
He said reducing sodium intake was crucial for controlling blood pressure, which would help prevent hypertension and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Acco.
