New Delhi, July 30 || Salt warning labels on menus in restaurants may help diners rethink over high-salt meals and make healthier choices, according to a study.
It may also be a key strategy to fight cardiovascular diseases as well as kidney damage caused by a high-salt diet.
In a first-of-its-kind research, a team from the University of Liverpool in the UK compared people ordering at a restaurant after seeing salt warnings with those who received a menu without warnings.
The findings, published in the journal The Lancet Public Health, showed that warning labels are perceived by consumers as effective in discouraging the selection of high-salt items. Warning labels also prompted greater awareness of salt content when ordering, and significantly reduced the amount of salt actually ordered.
"Our study has found that salt warning labels on menus help people make healthier choices," said lead author Dr. Rebecca Evans, Postdoctoral Researcher in Psychology at the varsity.
"Given that excess salt intake is a leading cause of diet-related disease, this kind of labeling policy could play a vital role in improving population health."
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends less than 5 grams per day of salt (roughly under a teaspoon) or below 2g of sodium per day.