Indians love their spices, but they also like to have their food a bit salty. That’s what is also the finding of a study – the average salt intake of Indians is double that of the WHO-recommended maximum consumption level (of 5 gm/day).
And that is definitely not going to please Indians as high salt intake is related to high blood pressure (hypertension). Besides WHO targets a 30 per cent reduction in salt consumption by 2025, and meeting that target is going to be a big ask for India.
In the last few decades, the average Indian diet has changed. We are eating less pulses, fruits and vegetables and lots more processed and fast foods. As a result, our diets are high in salt, sugars and harmful fats which results in high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.
“The average daily salt intake was 10.98 grams per day for Indians aged above 19 against the WHO recommendation of 5 gm,” a statement from George Institute for Global Health said, highlighting the key findings of the study published in the Journal of Hypertension.
In general, salt consumption was higher in southern and eastern states of India, with Tripura topping the scale with an average salt intake of around 14 grams. While majority of those living in cities ate less processed foods, they consumed more of salted pickled products which raised the salt intake.
The data provides a strong rationale for the implementation of a national salt reduction program in India, which will involve teaching people about the importance of reducing the salt intake in their diet.
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