Indians consume over twice the salt recommended - Study conducted by George Institute for Global Health

Indians are consuming more than double the recommended amount of salt by WHO in their diets, thus putting themselves at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and early deaths, a study claimed Thursday Oct 27,2016


The study conducted by George Institute for Global Health said the average daily salt intake of Indians above 19 years, was found to be 10.98 grams against the WHO recommendation of 5 grams per day.

It said 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, almost three times the recommendation by World Health Organisation (WHO)

With salt being a major contributing factor to high blood pressure, a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the study highlights the need for urgent action to reduce salt consumption in the country.

The study found that there was no difference in salt consumption between urban and rural areas, while it emphasised that urban population eat less processed foods, but they consume more salted pickled products.

CVD is the leading cause of mortality in India leading to some 2.3 million deaths each year, a quarter of which are attributed to high blood pressure, the WHO said. By 2030, the number of people suffering from high blood pressure in India is set to nearly double to 213 million.