Prof. Kingue Samuel, President of the Cameroon Cardiac Society, talks on the risks of excess salt and artificial food flavour consumption.

What is the danger of consuming excess salt?

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has released a report warning that non-communicable diseases will represent the greatest health challenge in the coming years.

Among these non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases. About 65 percent of deaths in the coming years will probably be due to cardiovascular diseases. Our aim is to raise awareness for people to reduce the amount of salt they take.

By reducing salt consumption, we can help prevent hypertension or high blood pressure, which is the main cause of stroke and cardiovascular complications like cardiac failure and other less common ones.

If salt consumption is cut down in food and fast food products, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases will reduce, and so also chronic non-communicable diseases.

How do you tell if the amount of salt in food is normal or much?

This is a difficult question because the taste of salt depends on each individual’s upbringing. People who grew up in homes where salt was consumed in excess are likely to do the same while those who were brought up in families that took little salt will be used to the habit.

We advise people not to add salt to the food they eat. They should just content themselves with the amount of salt in their food. When you add salt or artificial flavour to food, it becomes excess from the scientific point of view.

Some people say artificial flavours only add taste and are not salt per se.
There are different kinds of salt. Salt may be found in potassium, chloride, etc. The taste might seem the same, but the effect on health is not the same. We suggest that the consumption of salt that is linked to sodium should be reduced.

Would you advise people to include salt and artificial flavour in the same food?

We advise people to reduce the quantities of additional salt and aroma or artificial flavour in their food.

You also mentioned fast food products that also contain salt ….
This is mainly in fries like French Potato, fried fish and meat.

What of salt and artificial flavour manufacturers? Are they respecting norms?

The Ministry of Public Health is already working with them in this direction.

So, prevention is the way out?

Yes! Women need to be sensitised not to add excess salt to food as they prepare it while men do not need to ask for more salt when eating.

Is the impact of consuming excess salt felt more in adults or younger people?

The effect is seen mostly in adults, but we target young people because, at their age, it is easier to change eating habits.

Are there any figures on salt consumption risks in Cameroon?

We have not yet undertaken a study on salt consumption in Cameroon. But since the prevalence of high blood pressure is almost 30 percent of the population - that is one in three adults is hypertensive – it means the situation is serious enough.