A “sodium -free” salt is tempting, especially when you want to protect yourself from high blood pressure for example. But is it such a good idea? The National Health Safety Agency (ANSES) is now warned of these products presented as healthier. In extreme cases, they can lead to cardiovascular complications, or even cardiac arrest.
What do these salt substitutes really contain?
Concretely, these substitutes – marketed under the names of dietetic salts, hyposoded diets or “light” salts all display the same promise: replace sodium, too present in food, with potassium, supposed to be better for health. But this substitution is not without consequences.
ANSES teaches us that these products can contain up to 50 % potassium chloride, compared to around 1 % in classic salt. A massive potassium contribution which goes unnoticed for most healthy people, but which accumulates quickly in the body.
These people risk hyperkalemia
“For the general health population, the health risks of a high food intake in potassium, that is to say beyond the nutritional recommendations (3,500 mg/day), seem limited”indicates ANSES. Potassium is not an enemy in itself. He participates in the contraction of the muscles, but also in the synthesis of muscle proteins, contributing to the lengthening and shortening of the muscles. It also contributes to the transmission of nervous messages between the brain and the rest of the body. And also has regulatory functions of high blood pressure, in particular by neutralizing the effects of sodium (salt).
But in the case of excess potassium, hyperkalemia may be feared. “The first main risk is the heart rate disorderup to the ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrest. This risk is related to potassium, which can saturate certain channels. Ionic exchanges are carried out less well. The risks in the event of hyperkalemia are mainly muscle dysfunction, comprising a major risk at the cardiac level ” We learned Dr. Sophie Bauer thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon in a previous subject.
The agency is formal: some profiles should therefore never consume these products, even in small quantities:
- People with renal failure, even light;
- Cardiac patients or suffering from hypertension;
- Diabetics;
- The elderly;
- Pregnant women;
- Children under the age of 10.
Which still does a good part of the population. “”These people have a reduced capacity to eliminate excess potassium “explains the ANSES. “The consequence can be hyperkalemia, defined by a potassium rate greater than 5 mmol/L in the blood. This electrolytic disorder, often silent, can become brutally serious: heart rate disorders, muscle paralysis, even death”.
A risk that does not appear on the label
Another black point raised by the agency, the lack of regulatory supervision. ANSES regrets that these products are not subject to clear information on risks, and asks that specific mentions appear on the labels.
Currently these products are often sold without clear warning, in dietetic or organic shelves in various forms, misleading:
- Table salts with reduced sodium content;
- “Salt” broths and condiments;
- “Mineral” mixtures praised like “better for the heart”.
An image of “healthy” product that does not deal with the risks involved.
What to do if we follow a diet low in salt?
Has your doctor advised you with a diet low in salt? ANSES then recommends that it does not automatically turn to salt substitutes, but rather to adopt a more global approach to sodium reduction by modifying its eating habits, rather than replacing one salt with another.
Some tips to naturally reduce its salt consumption:
- Favor unprocessed raw foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes);
- Cooking home without adding salt systematically;
- Use spices, aromatic herbs or lemon juice to enhance the flavors;
- Read the labels of industrial products carefully, often very salty.
It is also advisable to the persons concerned by hyposoded regimes prescribed medically to consult a professional before any substitution.
As a reminder, the average consumption of salt in France remains too high to date: around 10 g/d among men and 8 g/d among women … far beyond the 5 g recommended by the WHO.