Reason older people add salt to food

Researchers of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) set out to find out who, among older adults, is more likely to add salt to food, since the salt added to food after its preparation represents between the 6 and 20 percent of total salt intake.

This behavior is known to vary between different sociodemographic groups, but in different cultural and social contexts it is not always clear who is more likely to use the salt shaker. It should be remembered that salt has been used as a seasoning and food preservative for thousands of years, but excessive consumption can cause various diseases, such as hypertensioncardiovascular and kidney diseases.

Additionally, excessive salt consumption accelerates cognitive decline. To avoid an increased risk of developing these diseases due to excessive salt consumption, World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume no more than five grams of salt a day.

More common in men

“Adding salt to food at the table remains a relatively common habit among older adults and occurs more frequently among men than among women,” says the first author, Dr. Flavia Britoassociate professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, who has published her study in Frontiers in Public Health.

“However, women’s salt-adding behavior was associated with a broader range of social and dietary characteristics than men’s,” adds co-author Dr. Deborah Santosfull professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.

The study used survey data from 2016 and 2017 of more than 8,300 Brazilian adults 60 years or older. Participants recalled their food choices from the previous 24 hours and were asked whether or not they were in the habit of adding extra salt to food. The independent variables that the researchers included in their analysis were sex, age groups over 60, years of education, whether they lived alone or with someone, family income, area of ​​residence, and whether participants included ultra-processed foodsfruits and vegetables in your diet.

Differences by sex

The results showed that the 12.7% of men and the 9.4% of women They added salt to their meals. Different sociodemographic factors were identified that influence salt consumption at the table, regardless of sex. “Among men, few variables were associated with the habit of adding salt, suggesting that their behavior may be less directly related to specific dietary patterns,” says Brito.

“On the other hand, women’s salt-adding behavior seemed to be more closely related to broader dietary patterns and contextual characteristics,” Santos notes.

Among men, only two factors were significantly associated with additional salt consumption. Those who followed a special diet for high blood pressure They were less than half as likely to do so as those who did not follow any such diet. The men who lived alone they had a 62% more likely to consume additional salt than those who lived with other people, according to EuropaPress.

The women had a 68% more likely of consuming extra salt if they were not following a diet to control high blood pressure. If they lived in areas urban or frequently consumed ultra-processed foods, the odds doubled. However, for women who consumed fruits or vegetables regularly, the probability was a 81% or 40% lessrespectively. This could be because this group pays more attention to diet quality, including reducing salt consumption.

Practical recommendations

The team noted that the study does not reveal causal relationships. Additionally, participants reported their own behavior when adding salt, so the data could be biased. It is also possible that salt consumption has changed since the survey was conducted.
According to the research team, adding extra salt may be due to both taste as usual. Frequent consumption of foods high in sodium can reduce sensitivity to salty flavors, which can lead people to prefer a more intense flavor. However, adding extra salt may be more a matter of habit than improving flavor. To reduce general salt consumption, it is necessary to implement measures to reduce the sodium content in industrialized and ultra-processed foods.

In addition to measures related to food production, particularly processed foods, there are also measures that each person can take individually. Given the differences in the behavior of men and women regarding salt consumption, the researchers noted that campaigns aimed at reducing additional salt use should be tailored to different population groups, including the gender and lifestyle characteristics.

“The use of natural herbs and seasonings as alternatives to salt, or culinary techniques such as the use of citrus acidity, can help reduce discretionary salt consumption without compromising the flavor of food,” concludes Santos. “Practical strategies, such as avoiding routinely placing salt shakers on the table, can also contribute to reducing habitual salt consumption.”