BME Health Awareness
Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington and Britain’s first black woman MP, today spoke out about the importance of monitoring salt intake as part of a healthy diet. At a seminar organised by CASH (Consensus Action on Salt & Health) at the House of Commons Diane warned that whilst excessive salt intake affects the UK population as a whole, “the African Caribbean communities in particular has to take note of the dangers of consuming too much salt and the link to high blood pressure and death from strokes”
The event was part of CASH’s annual Salt Awareness Week. This year’s focus is on ethnic groups, specifically the African-Caribbean population, who are particularly sensitive to the effects of salt in raising blood pressure. New research suggests that BME groups need to slash their salt intake significantly in order to reduce the risks of strokes, heart disease and heart failure.
Diane said: “I was very pleased to be asked to help raise the profile of this very serious issue. Too little has been done to emphasise the ethnic difference there is in sensitivity to the effects of salt. I have long been aware of the problems that excessive levels of salt intake can cause – particularly in the Afro-Caribbean community.” Diane went on: “Not nearly enough has been done to alert BME people to this reality. I don’t think people are aware that African and Caribbean people are particularly sensitive to the adverse effects of salt. Similarly, we have known for a while that black individuals have greater blood pressure response to salt reduction than our white counterparts, yet very little has been said about the specific health benefits of scrapping salty foods and snacks.”
Diane went on: “There are of course also cultural influences on our consumption of salt. In the BME communities most salt intake comes from salt added during cooking whereas for the majority of the UK population 80% of salt intake is from processed foods. The Afro-Caribbean community has historically eaten very salty foods - from the salt fish that was prevalent during the slave trade to the more contemporary fried fish and yam.” Diane added: “The black community needs advice on how to prepare our favourite meals without adding salt. We need to hold events like this in black community venues in order to reach ordinary people. Also, the money should be found to run a health promotion campaign on the dangers of salt in ethnic newspapers, radio and other media.”
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