Just A Pinch Can Reduce India’s Salt Overload

Indian adults consume about 8–11 g of salt daily, nearly double the WHO-recommended 5–6 g per day, highlighting excessive salt intake as a growing public health concern linked to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

The Science of Harm (Sodium Chloride – NaCl)

• Essential but Minimal Requirement: Sodium is necessary for basic body functions, but only in very small amounts.
• Excess Intake Mechanism: High salt consumption causes the body to retain water, which increases blood volume. This, in turn, raises pressure on blood vessel walls, leading to hypertension.
• Rising Burden in India: Nearly 28.1% of Indians (one in four adults) suffer from hypertension.
• Health Consequences: Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as heart attacks and strokes. It also affects kidney function and accelerates cognitive decline.
• Hidden Culprit: Despite its dangers, salt is often the “third villain,” overshadowed by public focus on sugar and fat, though it is a leading driver of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India.

Sources of Excess Salt 

• Types of Intake: Salt consumption comes from visible sources (directly added) and invisible sources (hidden in processed foods).
• Home-Cooked Food (75% Contribution): Traditional items like achar (pickle), papad, and chutneys are salt-heavy. The common practice of keeping table shakers encourages additional intake, making home food the largest contributor.
• Eating Out: Restaurants routinely add extra salt to enhance flavour and customer satisfaction, often exceeding safe limits.
• Processed & Packaged Foods: Items such as bread, biscuits, chips, ketchup, instant noodles, cakes, and pastries contain high levels of salt, both as a preservative and taste enhancer.
• HFSS Concern: These processed foods fall under the High in Fat, Salt, and Sugar (HFSS) category, which is increasingly linked to rising lifestyle diseases.

Misconceptions About Salt

• The Myth of Fancy Salts: The belief that pink salt, black salt, or rock salt are good alternatives is a major myth. 
  • They are still NaCl. 
  • Since they may taste less salty, people often use more of these fancy salts to achieve the desired effect.
• The Iodine Angle: A significant danger of using these fancy salts is that they are usually non-iodized. 
  • Regular salt in India is iodized as a government measure to address Iodine Deficiency Disorders. 
  • Switching to non-iodized salt jeopardizes efforts to address iodine deficiency.

Way Forward

• Comprehensive Strategy: Treat salt as an equal villain alongside sugar and fat. The need exists for a dedicated HFSS board (similar to existing Sugar or Oil boards).
• Public Awareness and Behavior Change: Run campaigns to educate people. Encourage the use of spices and herbs for flavour instead of relying heavily on salt.
• Low-Sodium Salt Substitutes: Use these alternatives only under a doctor’s advice, as they can sometimes lead to an increase in potassium levels, causing secondary problems.
• Start Early: Do not give salt to children under one year old. 
  • Since the taste for salt is acquired , limiting early exposure helps change the taste preferences of future generations.
• Reform Public Food Procurement: Set an upper salt limit for food provided by the government through schemes like Mid-day Meals, Anganwadi centres, and government hospitals. 
• Strong Regulation: The food industry should mandatory introduce  Front-of-Package Labelling (FOPL) indicating “High in Salt”. 
  • This practice proved effective in Chile in reducing salt consumption and increasing awareness.
• Community and Family Initiatives: Encourage small steps, such as appealing to restaurants to remove salt shakers from dining tables and provide salt only upon customer request.
• Integration: The effort should be integrated into the existing National Multi-sectoral Action Plan for Non-communicable Diseases. The Success requires collaboration across ministries (Health, Food Processing, Women and Child Development).

Conclusion

• Reducing salt consumption is not just a health priority but also a constitutional obligation under Article 47 (duty of the State to improve public health). Achieving this aligns with SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by reducing non-communicable diseases and ensuring a healthier population.

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