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The bulk of deaths are from cardiovascular ailments linked to the excessive consumption of sodium, WHO has said in its first Global Report On Sodium Intake Reduction. WHO predicted that 7 million people could die of diseases linked to excessive salt consumption before this decade ends.
China has the highest consumption of salt. A Chinese person consumes about 10.9 grams of salt every day. India is at number six on the list of per capita consumption with 10 grams a day and could see a large number of deaths.
Doctors across Delhi said WHO’s report was yet another wake-up call and it was time for people to take a step towards eating less salt and not wait for policy changes. The doctors advised people to choose home-cooked food over packaged foods as these contain more salt.
In a lighter vein, a senior cardiologist said Indians should let go of their love for salt, a symbol of the freedom struggle. His reference was to the Dandi March of Mahatma Gandhi.
Dr Rajkumar, a senior consultant on internal medicine at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC), said the excessive intake of salt has a direct bearing on health problems such as “high blood pressure that can lead to the build-up of plaque in the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases”.
The doctor said higher salt intake “can increase the risk of kidney disease as the kidneys are responsible for regulating the body’s sodium balance. High salt intake can lead to calcium loss, which can weaken bones and increase the risk of osteoporosis.”
He said that the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of salt intake for Indians is 5 grams a day. However, the RDA varies with age, sex and health conditions. Some individuals with certain medical conditions may need to consume lesser than 5 grams of salt.
AIIMS cardiologist Professor Ambuj Roy said: “In a large, randomised trial, it has been shown that the intake of low sodium salt/potassium enriched salt among high-risk individuals may reduce paralysis by 14 and death by 12 per cent, respectively.”
Dr Rommel Tickoo, director of internal medicine at Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket, said that the excessive consumption of salt has short and long-term effects. “A high-salt diet over a period of time can damage many organs and body functions,” he said.
Dr Sanjiv Saxena, the chairman of the Institute of Renal Sciences at PSRI Hospital, said: “High salt consumption leads to high blood pressure which is among the commonest causes for kidney failure. For those having diabetes, onset of high blood pressure leads to more chances of kidney failure. Kidney disease patients with high salt intake progress faster towards kidney failure,” he said.
Senior consultant physician at Fortis Hospitals in Shalimar Bagh, Dr Rahul Jain, said most dietary sodium (over 70%) comes from eating packaged and prepared foods, not from table salt. “Items with 400 mg or more of sodium are high in sodium. High sodium food additives include salt, brine or other items that say sodium, such as monosodium glutamate (on packages),” he said. Eating more home-cooked meals was a way out, the doctor said.
