Nothing to do. Although Italy is the home of the much-celebrated Mediterranean diet, able to ensure the general well-being of the body and to protect against cardiovascular diseases through a perfect balance in the supply of nutrients, minerals and vitamins, Italians continue to eat badly, exposing themselves to serious health risks. And it’s not just about excessive consumption of animal fats, simple sugars and red meat.
A recent study sponsored by the Ministry of Health, the MINISAL-GIRCSI Program, indicates that the vast majority of women and men residing along the Peninsula take amounts of sodium (table salt) far higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), while largely neglecting the intake of potassium, a “good” mineral salt, essential for the proper functioning of the body.
This deleterious combination is worrying because the imbalance in the relationship between these two elements results in a significant increase in the risk of developing hypertension and, consequently, cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, arteriosclerosis, heart attack and cerebral stroke.
The ideal consumption…
According to expert recommendations, the daily intake of sodium should be less than 2 g per day (equivalent to 5 g per day of table salt), including in this limit not only the salt added when preparing food or while at the table, but also that naturally contained in food.
Potassium, on the other hand, should be taken in an amount of at least 3.5 g per day, mainly through the consumption of green leafy vegetables and tomatoes, fruits (in particular, bananas, citrus fruits, apricots, peaches, kiwis, grapes and apples), legumes, potatoes, dried fruit and dark chocolate.
… and the real one
According to the surveys carried out by the MINISAL-GIRCSI Program team on 1,168 men and 1,112 women aged between 35 and 79 years and residing in 12 Italian regions, the average consumption standards are far from those recommended.
In particular, analyzing the levels of electrolytes present in the urine, it has been calculated that men take on average 10.9 g of salt per day and women about 8.5 g, which is twice as much as they should.
Based on these values, as many as 97% of Italian men and 87% of women use much more salt than they should. In contrast, potassium intake was about half of what was considered optimal and equal to 2.2 g per day for men and 1.9 g for women, respectively.
These intake levels mean that the ratio between sodium and potassium, crucial not only for the regulation of blood pressure, but also for proper nervous and muscular function, is completely unbalanced in favor of the former with average values of 3.1 in men and 2.8 in women: three times higher than the ideal reference level of 0.85.
The risk grows from North to South
Paradoxically, the highest sodium consumption was recorded in the Southern Regions, i.e. precisely in the areas that for culture and gastronomic traditions should be more oriented to the Mediterranean diet and to the use of foods rich in potassium and low in sodium, such as vegetables (in particular tomatoes, peppers and citrus fruits), cereals and fish, and to flavor foods with aromatic herbs and spices (such as garlic, onion, parsley, chilli, oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary).
And that’s not all. From the analyzes conducted as part of the MINISAL-GIRCSI Program it was seen that the greater consumption of sodium was also accompanied by a greater spread of overweight and obesity, two conditions in turn associated with an increased risk of hypertension, atherosclerotic disease and diabetes and, therefore, overall to a substantial increase in global cardiometabolic risk.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.