There has been a recorded increase in the number of young people diagnosed with hypertension and high blood pressure in Ekurhuleni in recent months.
This is according to the manager for non-communicable diseases at the Ekurhuleni metro, Angie Ndhambi.
“Ekurhuleni health practitioners have attributed these worrying developments mainly to the high level of intake of salt,” said Ndhambi.
She has strongly urged residents, young and old, to adopt the recommended daily intake limit of 5gs of salt as part of their lifestyle.
“Families should ensure that they remove salt shakers from their dining tables to ensure that the young members of their families use less salt and allow their little taste buds to adapt to foods that are not seasoned with salt,” Ndhambi said.
The health practitioner said adding raw salt to cooked food is more detrimental and can lead to high blood pressure which is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease.
However, this non-communicable disease can be prevented by adopting the following lifestyle changes:
- Using herbs, spices, garlic, chillies or lemon to season food instead of using salt;
- Staying away from take always such as fried chicken as they have large quantities of salt;
- Eat more fruits and vegetables as they contain minerals;
- Checking food labels and consume foods with less sodium.
“Ekurhuleni residents are strongly urged to take action in fighting non-communicable diseases and to visit their nearest primary healthcare facilities across the metro.”
