An estimated 2.5 million deaths due to non-communicable diseases across the world could be prevented each year if global salt consumption were reduced to less than five grams per adult per day or just under tea spoon, WHO said on Friday.
In India, it is disturbingly quite high. According to a study by the Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) the mean salt intake in urban areas is 7.6gm per day, putting them at risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease later in life.
“High salt intake increases the risk of high blood pressure and is associated with heart disease, stroke and other diseases.
“Reducing salt consumption is a cost-effective public health intervention and needs a multipronged and multisectoral approach in which everyone has to contribute,” said Poonam Kshetrapal, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. Her statement comes on the occasion of the World Heart Day being observed on Monday.
She has called upon the Governments to create awareness and develop policies that enable populations to consume adequate quantities of safe and healthy diet, with low salt content while asking the food industry to reformulate processed foods to reduced salt options.
There are growing calls to the Governments to tax sodas and to restrict marketing of foods high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans-fats and low in cereals and fibers. But not much is happening, noted Arun Gupta Member-Prime Minister’s Council on India’s Nutrition Challenges.
According to health experts, the number of patients in India with high blood pressure is likely to rise from about 140 million in 2008 to nearly 215 million by 2030 and they say that cutting salt intake will act as a preventive strategy as well curb this anticipated growth.