Salt does not damage health unless you go overboard with it. A new study has recently sparked outrage among public health experts who want salt intake cut in most countries by at least 30%. The study, which analysed data from more than 95,700 people from 18 countries, including India, found that systolic (higher reading) blood pressure went up by 2·86 mmHg per 1 gm increase in sodium intake only in people who had more than 5 gm of sodium per day.
Five gm of sodium is equivalent to 12.5 gm of salt, which is 2.5 times more than the dietary salt intake of 5 gm (one level teaspoon of salt, 2 gm of sodium) per day recommended by the World Health Organization. The Lancet study found that the harmful effects of sodium affected only communities in China, where the liberal use of soy sauce pushed sodium levels to more than 5 gm a day. The Lancet had similar findings back in 2016 and at the time, the findings were rejected by several researchers and even by the American Heart Association.
People who eat packaged foods invariably end up eating unhealthy amounts of salt. In middle-class homes, more than half of the dietary salt consumed comes from hidden sources such as processed foods, be it from bread, processed meats, biscuits, etc. Most people need to cut down on added salt by at least 30% to lower health risks. It's time to start off by shunning packaged foods altogether!
