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Christmas dinner 'loaded with salt' | Christmas dinner 'loaded with salt' |
(about 14 hours later) | |
By Jane Hughes BBC News health correspondent | By Jane Hughes BBC News health correspondent |
When you sit down to your turkey and Christmas pudding this week, how much thought will you give to whether it's good for you or not? | When you sit down to your turkey and Christmas pudding this week, how much thought will you give to whether it's good for you or not? |
We all know that the average Christmas dinner is not the most healthy of meals - but new research has revealed it contains more than 11 grammes of salt, almost double the recommended maximum for an entire day. | We all know that the average Christmas dinner is not the most healthy of meals - but new research has revealed it contains more than 11 grammes of salt, almost double the recommended maximum for an entire day. |
The group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), analysed an average Christmas dinner for the BBC and found high levels of salt in all three courses. | The group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), analysed an average Christmas dinner for the BBC and found high levels of salt in all three courses. |
Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which is linked to increased risk of stroke and heart disease. | Too much salt can cause high blood pressure, which is linked to increased risk of stroke and heart disease. |
Guinea pigs | Guinea pigs |
We sat down with east London's Murison-Goodwin family for an early Christmas lunch, to see which parts of the festive spread present the biggest risk. | We sat down with east London's Murison-Goodwin family for an early Christmas lunch, to see which parts of the festive spread present the biggest risk. |
People are eating all this salt unwittingly and putting up their blood pressure Professor Graham MacgregorCASH Our meal started with peanuts, crisps and olives. | People are eating all this salt unwittingly and putting up their blood pressure Professor Graham MacgregorCASH Our meal started with peanuts, crisps and olives. |
Billy, eight, James, six, and Tess, three, tucked in with enthusiasm. | Billy, eight, James, six, and Tess, three, tucked in with enthusiasm. |
But within a few minutes, they had already eaten nearly two grammes of salt each. | But within a few minutes, they had already eaten nearly two grammes of salt each. |
We followed the snacks with smoked salmon on brown bread. | We followed the snacks with smoked salmon on brown bread. |
That was popular all round, but it turns out there is a price to pay for the tastiness of the salmon - even a small portion has more than three grammes of salt in it. | That was popular all round, but it turns out there is a price to pay for the tastiness of the salmon - even a small portion has more than three grammes of salt in it. |
The turkey itself was not too bad when it comes to salt content, but once we had added supermarket-bought bread sauce, gravy, pre-made stuffing, and two or three chipolatas wrapped in bacon, the total for the meal was already more than 10 grammes.Advertisement | |
What one family had | |
The Christmas pudding and brandy butter was fairly low on salt, but the Stilton and biscuits to follow brought the grand salt total to nearly 12 grammes of salt each. | The Christmas pudding and brandy butter was fairly low on salt, but the Stilton and biscuits to follow brought the grand salt total to nearly 12 grammes of salt each. |
That is nearly a tablespoonful in a single meal, enough to cause serious health problems if it is consumed on a regular basis. | That is nearly a tablespoonful in a single meal, enough to cause serious health problems if it is consumed on a regular basis. |
Serious message | Serious message |
Of course, most of us don't eat that kind of spread more than once in a while, and CASH acknowledge that the salt content of a Christmas dinner will not do any harm if you only eat it now and then. | Of course, most of us don't eat that kind of spread more than once in a while, and CASH acknowledge that the salt content of a Christmas dinner will not do any harm if you only eat it now and then. |
I'm sure we can get away with it once a year Janet Goodwin But they do say there is a serious message behind the research. | I'm sure we can get away with it once a year Janet Goodwin But they do say there is a serious message behind the research. |
Professor Graham Macgregor, CASH chairman, said: "We don't want to get too worried about this - but our survey showed that, surprisingly, there's a lot of hidden salt in a Christmas lunch. | Professor Graham Macgregor, CASH chairman, said: "We don't want to get too worried about this - but our survey showed that, surprisingly, there's a lot of hidden salt in a Christmas lunch. |
"The reason we are concerned about this is that people are eating all this salt unwittingly and putting up their blood pressure." | "The reason we are concerned about this is that people are eating all this salt unwittingly and putting up their blood pressure." |
When we showed the Murison-Goodwins how much salt they had just eaten, eight-year-old Billy pulled a face. | When we showed the Murison-Goodwins how much salt they had just eaten, eight-year-old Billy pulled a face. |
"Yuk!" he said. "I can't taste any salt." | "Yuk!" he said. "I can't taste any salt." |
"I think it's amazing, because you can't really see the salt," said his six-year-old brother, James. | "I think it's amazing, because you can't really see the salt," said his six-year-old brother, James. |
Their dad, Rob Murison, said he was surprised the total was so high. | Their dad, Rob Murison, said he was surprised the total was so high. |
He said: "We try not to put too much salt in our food, so when you see that amount, it is quite shocking." | He said: "We try not to put too much salt in our food, so when you see that amount, it is quite shocking." |
But Janet Goodwin accused the researchers of being spoilsports. | But Janet Goodwin accused the researchers of being spoilsports. |
"We don't have this sort of food every day," she said. | "We don't have this sort of food every day," she said. |
"I'm sure we can get away with it once a year." | "I'm sure we can get away with it once a year." |
The researchers themselves said they weren't trying to put people off their Christmas dinners. | The researchers themselves said they weren't trying to put people off their Christmas dinners. |
But it does serve as a reminder that there are high levels of hidden salt in a lot of the food we eat on a regular basis. | But it does serve as a reminder that there are high levels of hidden salt in a lot of the food we eat on a regular basis. |
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