Brooklyn, NY – That’s the message city officials and local clergy are sending to Brooklynites young and old to kick off a new, year-long campaign to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
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“We’re not banning salt,” Borough President Marty Markowitz said yesterday. “But for those who have the propensity toward high blood pressure, such as me, high salt intake is not conducive to good health.”
Markowitz, who was hospitalized with heart problems last June, said his weight and blood pressure are now stable.
“I’ve cut down significantly on cakes and breads, and I’ve cut down substantially on salt in my diet,” Markowitz said. “When I go to a restaurant, I always tell the wait staff, ‘Please, no salt.'”
“Cut the Salt, Brooklyn!” is a campaign that will include brochures as well as classes on how to lower salt intake by shopping for the right groceries.
The city’s deputy health commissioner, Dr. Mary Bassett, urged Brooklynites to read labels, looking for hidden salt in prepared or processed foods.
“Who would guess, for example, that a blueberry muffin can have twice as much salt as an order of French fries, or that breads in general are the source of about 10% of the salt in our diet?” Bassett said. [NYdailynews]