With processed and fast food rapidly making their way to the dining table of almost every next household in the country, a new study has found that Indians are eating more than double the recommended amount of salt, putting themselves at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early death.
Published in a recent edition of Journal of Hypertension, the study has said that the average daily salt intake was 10.98 grams per day for Indians aged above 19 against the WHO recommendation of five grams per person each day.
Researchers at The George Institute for Global Health (GIGH) had reviewed data involving 2,27,000 people across the country and found the salt consumption was higher in southern and eastern states of India. Tripura topped the list with an average daily salt intake of around 14 grams.
With salt being a major contributing factor to high blood pressure — a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) — the researchers have called for urgent action in India to reduce salt consumption.
lead author Claire Johnson of the GIGH said, “Over the past 30 years the average Indian diet has been transformed. They are eating less pulses, fruits and vegetables and lots more processed and fast foods.”
“As a result their diets are now full of salt, sugars and harmful fats which are driving up rates of high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.” Furthermore, excess intake of calories from energy dense foods delivered in large portions is driving a rapidly evolving obesity epidemic, the study ‘Mean population salt consumption in India: a systematic review’ noted.
Vivek Jha, Executive Director of the GIGH said, India has to ramp up its efforts to meet the WHO target of a 30 per cent reduction in salt consumption by 2025. He called for a country-wide educational program teaching people what to eat and how to reduce salt in their diets.