Hot chocolate lovers beware. Researchers have warned that hot chocolate may be as salty as seawater with 16 times more salt than the maximum target.
Well the findings have shown that each servind of chocolate powder is motre harmful than eating a bag of crisps. 28 food categories were analysed, and out of them only 'bread rolls' were found to reach agreed salt reduction.
Most people took one third more than the recommended intake which leads to high blood pressure, putting strain on the heart, arteries, kidneys, and brain and eventually leading to heart attacks, strokes, dementia and kidney disease.
"Salt is the forgotten killer. We are shocked to see that many food manufacturers and retailers are still failing to meet the salt reduction targets, despite having had years to work towards them," Katharine Jenner, nutritionist at Consensus Action on Salt and Health -- a Britain-based organisation, was quoted as saying to the telegraph.co.uk.
Further, a huge disparity in similar food products was found.
The researchers told that some breakfast cereals contained just three per cent of the salt, compared to others.
Reducing daily salt intake from 8g to 6g per day could prevent 14,000 deaths a year, the researchers noted.