In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sabine Kapasi – CEO at Enira Consulting, Founder of ROPAN Healthcare, and UN advisor – shared that reducing salt intake is crucial for public health, particularly in India, where excessive salt consumption is linked to approximately 175,000 deaths annually due to high blood pressure-related issues.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2 grams (or 5 grams of salt), but Indians consume over 12 grams of salt daily, more than double the recommended amount. Highlighting this, Dr Kapasi said, “Too much salt is slowly killing people. WHO states that excessive sodium intake causes approximately 1.9 million deaths worldwide each year. The recommended daily intake of sodium is 2 grams, but the average person worldwide consumes more than 4.3 grams.”
She added, “The situation in India is even worse. A national workshop with Resolve to Save Lives in June this year showed that Indians eat more than 12 grams of salt a day, which is more than twice the recommended amount. This is linked to about 175,000 deaths each year from problems related to high blood pressure.”
Dr Kapasi further shared that one of the main causes of heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems in the country is high blood pressure: “The cost of treating these conditions is very high, and the economic effects go beyond hospitals. Early deaths and long-term illnesses lower productivity and put more stress on families that are already dealing with rising healthcare costs.”
Why potassium-enriched salt is a good option
Dr Kapasi highlighted that potassium-enriched salt is gaining attention as a healthier alternative to regular table salt – by replacing some sodium chloride with potassium chloride, it reduces sodium intake while increasing potassium consumption, benefiting heart and muscle health.
She said, “WHO recently said that potassium-enriched salt is a good alternative to regular table salt. It has potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride. This simple change lowers the amount of sodium you eat and raises the amount of potassium, which is important for the health of your heart and muscles. The WHO says that people should get 3.5 grams of potassium every day, but most people do not.”