Salt and its Role in Our Health in Ghana

A compound in the form of crystals that consists of sodium chloride (NaCI) and is used especially for seasoning or preserving food and in industry called also common salt. Any of numerous compounds form by replacement of part or all of the hydrogen of an acid by a metal or by a group acting like metal.

Ghana has a thriving salt mining and winning industry that has consistently produced around 250,000 metric tons annually over the last decade. The primary method of salt production in Ghana is through solar evaporation of concentrated sea water in salt pans, usually in area with sources very close to sea.

In 2022 Ghana exported $4.36 million worth of salt. This is 0.022% of Ghana’s total export earnings of $20 billion for the same period. This made Ghana the 59 largest exporter of salt in the world for 2022.

Aside Senegal, Ghana is the only country in the West Africa sub region endowed with the natural condition suitable for the production of salt in commercial quantities.

On the other hand, the major benefit of salt according to modern medicine resources are; aiding the balance of electrolytes and fluids carry nutrients into cells, regulation of acid base balance pH, support transfer of nerve impulses regulate blood pressure, and secretion of gastric acid.

Human body needs salt for survival, it is one of the essential minerals which not only maintain proper blood pressure and water distribution in the body, and it delivers nutrients to and from the cell nerve transmission and muscle movement.

Salt has being classified into different type’s Acidic, Basic, Neural, Double and Mixed salt;

Acidic is a salt that is formed as a result of the reaction between a weak base and a strong base is called an acidic salt.NH4CI, CuSO4.

Basic is a salt that forms as a result of the reaction between a weak acid and a strong base is called Basic salt, Na25, CH3COONa.

Neural is a salt that is form as a result of the reaction between a strong acid and a strong base called neural, NaCI, KNO3.

Double is a salt that formed with equimolar proportion of the two simple salts when they are crystallized at a slow pace and form a mixture of their saturated salt solution, KSO4,AI2(SO4)3.24H2O.

Mixed is a salt that contain more than one action or anion atom different from H+ ions is called mixed salt CaOCI2

Salt experimental material are salt solution, detergent solution, soup solution, orange juice, four glass beakers, water, dropper, dropper plate and litmus paper.

Salt is an essential ingredient in cooking and preserving food. It can have a major impact on the flavor and texture of your food. These are the types of the cooking salt;

Kosher salt, Table salt, Fleur De Sel, Sea salt, Celtic salt, Flake salt, Pink salt, Red salt, Black salt

Evidence based interventions global health, implementation research, sodium intake, African young adults, adolescents, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

Approximately 2.6 million deaths, representing 35%of all deaths in the sub Sahara Africa region are attributable to non communicable disease. Cardiovascular disease is a leading of non communicatable disease burden and mortality, accounting for 22.9 million disability adjusted life years. the growing cardiovascular disease epidemic, there has been a significant increase in elevated blood pressure a major risk factor of cardiovascular diseases among populations in sub Sahara Africa.

Dietary sodium intake is high among Ghanaians with women having a median value of 8.6g per day compared to 7.5g per day among men. Higher sodium intake is observed among younger adults person aged below 50 years 9.7 g per day compared to older adults persons aged 50 years and above 8.1g per day.

Hajia Muni 65 year old, in Kumasi suffers from cardiovascular disease CVD more than ten years after the death of her late husband, whom has stopped intake of salt in her dietary but prefer Celtic salt.

Hajia Hadiza 65 years old whom had being discharge from Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital KATH was advise to take more salt (sodium) as intake of her meal and drinking water due to the hypotentive value.

Anty Mawusi 70 years old. Leaves at Ejura had recovered from partial stroke managing to stop salt intake. Say; it’s not easy to eat meal without salt, which it tastes tasteless.

Recommendation
From Manhyia Government Hospital Kumasi, Dr. Mathias Azure said it’s easy to have too much salt (for sodium). 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.

Dr. says adult should have no more than 6g of salt a day (around 1 level teaspoon).

11 years old and over. Not more than 6g around one teaspoon.

7 to 10 years old. Not more than 3g.
4 to 6 years old. Not more than 3g.
1 to 3 years old. Not more than 2g.
Warn babies should not have much salt because their kidney are not fully developed and cannot process it.

BY MUSTAPHA BATURE SALLAMA
Medical/Science Communicator
mustysallama@gmail.com

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