Excess intake of salt takes over 680 lives a year in Lebanon. An in-depth study of the local market, considered to be the first of its kind in Lebanon revealing tangible information around the dangers of excess salt intake and the burden it has on the medical sector and on the national budget, conducted by the Lebanese Action on Salt and Health (LASH), part of the Vascular Medicine Program (VMP) at the American University of Beirut (AUB), found that more than one third of the population overlook food content labels and less than one quarter (21.5%) correctly identified the main contributors of salt in their diet; consequently, the average salt intake of 60% of individuals in Lebanon reaches 3130 mg of sodium, topping the recommended 2000 mg. The latest findings of this first of its kind study in Lebanon, revealing the minimal public understanding of the dangers of salt, were shared in a press conference on the occasion of World Salt Awareness Week on Tuesday, March 11, 2014, by LASH and Consumer International (CI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health.
“The findings were shocking and immediate action is needed,” said Dr. Samir Arnaout, facilitator of the LASH group and former president of the Lebanese Society of Cardiology (2011-2013). The plan, according to Dr. Arnaout, is to reduce this to the normal levels of 5g per day through an organized national awareness campaign. “Improved labelling is an important part of the overall salt reduction strategy,” said Dr. Arnaout.
Field tests and a study were conducted by LASH in Ras Beirut visiting food outlets and testing the average amount of salt in the food offered. The major food groups contributing to the Lebanese individual daily salt intake are bread (there are up to 500 mg of sodium per 100 g Arabic bread), and bread-like products, pies or manaeesh (cheese or zaatar), as well other processed foods.
Revealing the minimal public understanding of the dangers of salt, the study showed that around 31.8% of the Lebanese population mistakenly identified the major source of salt as salt added during cooking, 42.1% as salt added at the table while the correct answer is processed foods.
For consumers the best way to go about cutting down on salt is to begin by reading labels carefully and to become aware of salt content, tailoring shopping habits to lower it. The aim should be to reduce salt slowly and to look out for high-salt foods and purchase alternatives. “Too much salt is bad for the heart; our salt consumption habits have to change and to achieve this several steps must to be taken,” said Dr. Zouhair Berro, president of Consumers Lebanon.
The study that revealed the burden of excessive salt intake on both the medical sector and the national budget highlighted the need for a nationwide awareness campaign to reduce salt consumption and improve public health.
Deputy VP/Dean and Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal, representing Vice President for Medical Affairs and Raja N. Khuri Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at AUBMC Dr. Mohamed Sayegh, stated that “the support of industry, public health and consumer stakeholders is a must for the success of any campaign.” “We thank LASH for their original role in developing another successful model of team work to create positive change for the health of our community. A new initiative solidifying AUBMC as pioneers in setting the way to raise awareness on issues related to public health,” he added.
Representing His Excellency Minister of Public Health, Mr. Wael Abou Faour, Head of Department of Public Health in Mount Lebanon, Dr. Michel Kfoury asserted the ministry’s determination to “stand side-by-side with LASH to spread awareness on the dangers of excessive salt intake through seminars in schools and meetings with bakeries and food manufacturers to lower salt content in food products on the Lebanese market.”
Salt reduction initiatives have been very successful in the UK, France, Finland and the US and have resulted in a drop in stroke and heart attacks concomitant with a drop in salt intake levels in processed foods like bread. Internationally recognized guidelines state that any food with more than 600 mg of sodium per 100g can be considered unhealthy. In Lebanon, many products exceed this limit.
