14 Healthy Eating
such as baked beans and breakfast cereals have their high salt content masked
by the sugar added. Salt is also necessary, particularly in poorer countries
where diarrhea is common, as it helps the body to rehydrate itself. In fact
Britain imposed an extortionately high salt tax when it governed India,
as salt was not only a useful flavor enhancer but also an essential part of
the diet and therefore guaranteed a high level of revenue.
Alcohol
Alcohol consumption has several negative effects on health. For example,
alcoholism increases the chance of liver cirrhosis, cancers (e.g., pancreas
and liver), memory deficits, and self-harm through accidents (Smith and
Kraus, 1988). Alcohol also increases the chances of hypertension; heavy
drinkers have higher blood pressure than light drinkers and abstainers, and
this has been shown to fall dramatically if their alcoholic beer is replaced
by low-alcohol beer. In terms of alcohol’s impact on mortality, data from
the UK show that the rate of alcohol-related deaths has increased from
6.9 per 100,000 in 1991 to 13.0 per 100,000 in 2004 and that the number
of such deaths has more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,380 in 2004
(National Statistics, 2006). Data also show that death rates are higher for
men than for women and that this gap has widened over recent years. Alcohol
may, however, also have a positive effect on health. In a longitudinal study,
Friedman and Kimball (1986) reported that light and moderate drinkers
(between 1 and 2 units per day) had lower morbidity and mortality rates
than both nondrinkers and heavy drinkers. They argued that alcohol con-
sumption reduces coronary heart disease via the following mechanisms: 1)
a reduction in the production of catecholamines when stressed, 2) the pro-
tection of blood vessels from cholesterol, 3) a reduction in blood pressure,
4) self-therapy, and 5) as a short-term coping strategy. The results from
the General Household Survey (1992) also showed some benefits of alcohol
consumption, with the reported prevalence of ill health being higher
among nondrinkers than among drinkers.
Micronutrients
Several components of the diet have been hypothesized to lower blood pres-
sure, but evidence is still in the preliminary stages. For example, potassium
found in foods such as potatoes, pulses, and dried fruits; calcium found
in hard water; long-chain fatty acids found in fish oils; and magnesium
found in foods such as bran, wholegrain cereals, and vegetables have been
shown to reduce blood pressure.