Within the UK, strokes are one of the biggest causes of death, responsible for around 34,000 fatalities every year . They happen when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. This is usually caused by a blood clot but they can also occur when a vessel supplying blood to the brain bursts.
There are a number of factors that can increase your risk for stroke - some of which are within our control. Diet is one such factor, and the NHS issued an urgent warning to cut back on one particular ingredient in order to slash your chances of experiencing a stroke. The health body says: “An unhealthy diet can increase your chances of having a stroke because it may lead to an increase in your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
” We should all be cutting back on our salt intake to avoid a stroke, according to the NHS. “Eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes,” it says. It is surprisingly “easy” to have too much salt.
The NHS continues: “Around three quarters of the salt we eat comes from packaged and everyday foods we buy, such as bread, breakfast cereals, meat products and ready meals. It can also be found in takeaways, restaurant or café meals and fast-food outlets.” Under NHS guidelines, adults should have no more than six grams of salt a day (around one level teaspoon), but children should have even less.
And babies should not have much salt, because their kidneys are not fully developed and canno.