“It’s alarming that young Swedish men are consuming so much salt, and something needs to be done about it. We can really only speculate on the consequences of such a high salt intake later on in life, in the form of cardiovascular diseases and stroke,” says Lena Hulthén, Professor in Clinical Nutrition at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

The study included almost a hundred men in their twenties. Urine samples from all participants were analysed over a 24-hour period. The participants also answered questions about their eating habits. The urine samples showed that the young men were consuming at least two times the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily intake of six grams.

“High salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, but we couldn’t detect any connection in our study. High blood pressure doesn’t usually develop until a person is in their 30s or 40s, since the kidneys’ ability to deal with the excess salt deteriorates with age,” says Lena Hulthén.

Salt in food is found largely in ready meals such as pizza and frozen meat hash, but it is also in bread, cheese, meat sandwich fillings, fish products, breakfast cereals and other products produced by the food industry. An earlier Danish study has shown that only a tenth of the salt that we consume comes from our own salt cellars.

“The food industry needs clear regulations on how much salt it is allowed to use if we want to reduce total salt intake. One solution could be to follow Finland’s example, where all food packaging has to clearly state the salt content to make it easier for the consumer to select products containing less salt,” says Lena Hulthén.

Salt in food

People who consume a lot of salt run a greater risk of developing high blood pressure, which in turn is one of the key causes of heart problems and stroke. The National Food Administration (Livsmedelsverket) recommends that Swedish women consume no more than six grams of salt a day, and Swedish men no more than seven grams, but the authority would ideally like to see us consuming between five and six grams a day. The National Food Administration would also like to see children consuming less salt.

Source: University of Gothenburg

New research by Satoru Eguchi, Associate Professor of Physiology, suggests that a component in a layer of tissue surrounding grains of brown rice may work against angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is an endocrine protein and a known culprit in the development of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

The findings are contained in a study conducted by Dr. Eguchi and his colleague at the Temple lab, Akira Takaguri. The research team is also composed of Hirotoshi Utsunomiya and Ryohei Kono of the Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Wakayana Medical University, Wakayama, Japan; and Shin-ichi Akazawa, Department of Materials Engineering, Nagaoka National College of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan. Dr. Takaguri will present the team’s findings at the annual 2010 Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, CA on April 24-28. This presentation is sponsored by The American Physiological Society.

Brown Rice and Angiotensin II

The subaleurone layer of Japanese rice, which is located between the white center of the grain and the brown fibrous outer layer, is rich in oligosaccharides and dietary fibers, making it particularly nutritious. However, when brown rice is polished to make white rice, the subaleurone layer is stripped away and the rice loses some of its nutrients. The subaleurone layer can be preserved in half-milled (Haigamai) rice or incompletely-milled (Kinmemai) rice. These types of rice are popular in Japan because many people there believe they are healthier than white rice.

The Temple team and their colleagues at the Wakayama Medical University Department of Pathology and the Nagaoka National College of Technology Department of Materials Engineering in Japan sought to delve into the mysteries of the subaleurone layer and perhaps make a case for leaving it intact when rice is processed. Because angiotensin II is a perpetrator in such lethal cardiovascular diseases, the team chose to focus on learning whether the subaleurone layer could somehow inhibit the wayward protein before it wreaks havoc.

First, the team removed the subaleurone tissue from Kinmemai rice. Then they separated the tissue’s components by exposing the tissue to extractions of various chemicals such as ethanol, methanol and ethyl acetate. The team then observed how the tissue affected cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells. Vascular smooth muscle cells are an integral part of blood vessel walls and are direct victims of high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

During their analysis, the team found that subaleurone components that were selected by an ethyl acetate extraction inhibited angiotensin II activity in the cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. This suggests that the subaleurone layer of rice offers protection against high blood pressure and atherosclerosis. It could also help explain why fewer people die of cardiovascular disease in Japan, where most people eat at least one rice-based dish per day, than in the U.S., where rice is not a primary component of daily nutrition.

“Our research suggests that there is a potential ingredient in rice that may be a good starting point for looking into preventive medicine for cardiovascular diseases,” said Dr. Eguchi. “We hope to present an additional health benefit of consuming half-milled or brown rice [as opposed to white rice] as part of a regular diet.”

Source: Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles generated 3D maps of over 200 healthy elderly people’s brains and found a pattern of diminished brain volume in people with specific DNA sequence within the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene.

‘We’ve known for some time that there’s a link between obesity in mid life and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. However this study suggests that healthy people who carry a specific DNA sequence associated with obesity could be at a greater risk of developing dementia. A reduction in people’s brain tissue was observed but this wasn’t linked to other obesity-related factors such as cholesterol levels, diabetes or high blood pressure.

‘This is a relatively small study but the findings support the need for more research. One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years but dementia research is desperately under-funded, however with the right investment, it can be defeated.’

Dr Susanne Sorensen
Head of Research
Alzheimer’s Society

Research reference: April Ho et al, University of California, Los Angeles, ‘A commonly carried allele of the obesity-related FTO gene is associated with reduced brain volume in healthy elderly’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, April 2010.

Source
Alzheimer’s Society

The new survey*, conducted for Siemens in conjunction with The Stroke Association to launch the annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, found that less than half of those questioned (43%) believe they adhere to the GDA (Guideline daily amount) for salt of 6g per day. Also the vast majority (85%) of those questioned failed to take the government recommended 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. This lack of regular exercise, combined with a high salt intake, could lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of stroke.

The research revealed a general lack of awareness about overall salt consumption and the level of salt found in foods. While 92% of those surveyed believe that too much salt is bad for their health, 40% were unable to correctly identify six grams or one teaspoon as the maximum recommended daily salt allowance for an adult and, worryingly, 64% of those questioned are not concerned about their salt intake.

Perhaps surprisingly, those aged under 18 are most conscientious about always looking at the salt content of foods before buying (21% compared to the national average of less than 10%), but this doesn’t appear to lead to a reduction in the amount of ready-made and takeaway meals consumed by this age group. On average under-18s consume more than three of these types of meal per week, the highest of any age group, with 16% consuming seven or more every week.

The under 18s are also the least aware (53%, compared with 76% for all other age groups) that salt present in the food they buy is likely to constitute their main source of salt intake. In common with all other age groups, over three-quarters (78%) of under 18s regularly add more salt to their food during cooking or consumption, leading to a potentially very high weekly salt intake. This, coupled with the fact that 84% of young people exercise fewer than five times per week, means that this group could be increasingly at risk of serious health problems in later life.

Siemens carried out the research as part of the launch of their third annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of stroke and highlight the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise as an effective means of stroke prevention.

Andreas J. Goss, chief executive, Siemens in the UK, said: “Stroke is the UK’s third biggest killer and contrary to popular belief it can affect people of any age. It is imperative that people take regular exercise and modify their lifestyle habits and diet if they are to reduce the risk of suffering from serious health conditions such as stroke.”

Wendy Martinson, Registered Dietician and Sports Nutritionist to the Great Britain Rowing Team, said: “A combination of poor dietary choices and habits, along with lack of regular exercise, could result in serious future health problems. A campaign such as Stroke for Stroke can raise awareness of the importance of taking positive action in your diet and lifestyle to improve your health. The risk of stroke is patently real and these warnings need to be acknowledged.”

Joe Korner, Director of Communications for The Stroke Association comments: “Each year an estimated 150,000 people in the UK will suffer a stroke. High blood pressure is the single biggest risk factor for stroke, eating too much salt on a regular basis as well as not exercising can contribute to this. Stroke for Stroke is now in its third year and a campaign like this is integral to raising awareness of how regular exercise and lifestyle choices can help prevent a stroke, which is clearly a message the UK still needs to hear.”

The Stroke for Stroke campaign will run between 25 – 31 January 2010 and will challenge members of the public to row 10km (or more), helping to raise vital funds for the charity. Not having access to a rowing machine is no excuse, as Stroke for Stroke has teamed up with Nuffield Health to offer a free five day pass to their nationwide network of Fitness & Wellbeing Centres for everyone taking part in Stroke for Stroke. The campaign is open to everyone across the UK. The campaign website contains useful information on stroke prevention, including limiting salt intake and taking regular exercise.

Notes

*The research was carried out by One Poll in September 2009 and questioned 3,000 participants. Siemens Stroke for Stroke Week is supported by The Stroke Association. Full details and a link to the justgiving website can be found at http://www.strokeforstroke.co.uk

Source
Nuffield Health
Siemens in the UK
The Stroke Association