Kids Ask: If Salt is Bad for Me, Can I…?

Inculcating healthy eating habits in children helps prevent the onset of diseases later in life. As you go about convincing your little one to adopt a low-salt diet, you may also be faced with cheeky questions from them. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Here are some commonly asked questions from students in our BP Initiative @ Schools programme and the expert responses you can give.

By NAOMI CHANG, WENNY YEE

1. Can I consume more sugary food to neutralise my salt intake?
Cannot.Sugar and salt do not neutralise each other — instead, the effects of both are at work. Consuming an excessive amount of sugar can lead to weight gain, putting us at risk of type 2 diabetes and other health complications.

A study has also found that a higher sugar intake significantly increased the participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 6.9mmHg and 5.6mmHg respectively.

Moderation is key. Always keep to the recommended daily intake of less than one teaspoon for salt and less than 10 teaspoons for sugar for children aged 10 to 12*. It is important to note that this is a limit and not a target, so the lower, the better!

*Estimated based on an average consumption of 2,000 kcal. Kindly note that daily energy requirement would vary according to age, gender and physical activity level.

2. Can I drink lesser water as it also contains sodium?
Cannot. Drinking water contains only a trace amount of sodium (less than 20mg per litre). You should not be worried about the sodium content in water as the amount is very low and not likely to cause any adverse health effects.

3. Can I still enjoy yummy food without salt?
Can. Salt is an acquired taste, which we build a tolerance for and “expect” in our foods. If you gradually reduce the sodium in your diet, you will slowly adjust to the less salty flavour, better appreciate the original flavours of your fresh foods without the adverse health effects of sodium, and get to enjoy longer, healthier times together as a family!

4. Can I die from eating too much salt?
Can. Salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. As sodium attracts water, high level of sodium (from high salt intake) will cause our body to draw more water into our blood. This increases the blood volume, which raises blood pressure. Over time, this may result in high blood pressure. If untreated, blood vessels can be damaged, leading to severe complications such as stroke and heart failure, putting our life at stake.
Adopt a healthy balanced diet that is low in fat and sodium and be sure to clock at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week to reduce your risk of hypertension.

5. Can I exercise more to overwrite all the unhealthy food I eat?
Cannot. While exercise is important in maintaining different components of overall health, the positive impact of exercise is limited if changes are not made to a poor diet . The only way to protect our body from the harmful effects of salt and sodium is to limit our intake as far as possible.

Unhealthy foods are high in calories and low in nutrients. For example, a bag of chips is high in calories but does not include the vitamins and nutrients found in fruit and vegetables of equivalent calories.

6. Can I eat anything I want as long as I do not add too much salt and seasonings to my food?
Cannot. Sodium is found not only in table salt and seasonings but also in processed foods, e.g. pastries, tomato sauce and cereals, which do not taste salty. Salt is often added to processed foods to extend their shelf life, enhance flavour, and improve texture and appearance.

Always refer to the Nutrition Information Panel on the packaging to check the product’s sodium content. For children above 7 years old, it is recommended not to consume more than 5g of salt (equivalent to 2,000mg of sodium) per day.