Time now for our "Life & Info" segment,... where we focus on information useful for your
everyday life. Today, we are going to talk about food.
More specifically, the amount of sodium in our daily meals.
For more on that, we have our Kim Mok-yeon with us.
So Mok-yeon, it's a known fact that too much salt is bad for us.
Let's start by talking about which countries consume the most salt.
Good morning Mark. Well I was also curious about that so I did some research.
According to a new research led by Queen Mary University of London, China consumes more
sodium per person than anywhere else in the world, with an estimated average daily adult
consumption of 10.9 grams per person, which is more than double the World Health Organization's
recommended limit of 5 grams. Other countries with similar intakes include
Portugal, Montenegro and Benin.
Why do Chinese people consume so much sodium?
Well, Chinese foods, especially those dishes from Sichuan province, are known for their
spicy and strong flavors, which come from salty seasonings and spices.
And such dishes are getting more and more popular in South Korea these days.
So Mok-yeon, just walk us through why too much salt is dangerous for our long term health?
Consuming large amounts of salt raises blood pressure which leads to an increased risk
of cardiovascular disease. And especially in China, strokes and heart
diseases account for about 40% of deaths.
Mok-yeon, I heard that the Chinese government has been working to lower people's salt intake
in recent years?
Yes, to help people reduce their salt intake as well as promote a healthy diet, China has
been using advertising campaigns to increase public awareness about the dangers of excessive
salt intake. Chinese food companies are also manufacturing
low-sodium products. But despites such efforts, it seems like the
love for sodium is still hard to resist. Southern parts of China, which traditionally
consumed less salt than northern regions, also saw salt consumption rise in recent years,
exacerbated by the rise in processed foods and eating out.
"A lot of people in China commute from the northern areas to the south and vice versa.
Because of this, people can easily taste northern Chinese cuisine."
How about the sodium intake level in South Korea? Are those of us here within those recommended
limits?
Unfortunately no Mark. There's no doubt that South Koreans' daily sodium intake had been
decreasing over the past decade, but the most recent figure, which is from 2017, showed
that the average intake per person dropped to 3,478 milligrams per day which is similar
to the U.S. and some European countries. But still, it's far above the WHO's recommended
level
of 2,000 milligrams.
Why are Koreans consuming such high levels of sodium?
Well, many experts attribute this to the eating habits of Koreans, because traditionally,
a complete Korean table includes Kimchi and stews, which both contain large amounts of
salt. Do you like Korean food Mark?
I love it. My favorite dish is bibimbap, a bowl that contains a mixture of rice, seasonal
vegetables and hot chili paste.
I like that too, but did you know that Bibimbap has the highest sodium content of any Korean
dish? According to research done by Kyungpook National
University, Bibimbap contains around 1,050 milligrams of sodium, more than half of the
WHO's recommended daily allowance. This is partly due to the high levels of sodium in
the hot chili paste used to make the dish. Other foods to look out for are stews such
as fermented bean paste stew or and soft tofu stew.
Before we let you go, can you give us some tips on how to consume less salt?
Sure Mark, in order to prevent our bodies from sodium related diseases, we should cut
down on meat, and instead eat more fruits and vegetables which contain lots of potassium,
which helps remove sodium from our bodies. *Good examples of those are avocados, potatoes
and bananas.
Well, Mok-yeon, I guess that will do it. Thanks for your report as always.
My pleasure.