Chennai: Did you know around 80% of our salt consumption is from hidden food sources and not direct items? If our current salt consumption is reduced by 30%, there will be a reduction of at least 25% prevalence in hypertension, as per a recent initiative by IIT Madras, organised to boost the collective fight against high salt consumption. The programme was a collaborative effort between Sapiens Health Foundation, IIT-Madras (Department of Medical Sciences and Technology), the government of Tamil Nadu (Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine) and a New York-based NGO, Resolve to Save Lives. Increased food delivery According to Dr T S Selva Vinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, "We all know that non-communicable diseases (NCD) account for nearly 65% of the fatalities/mortalities.
To address this epidemic, we need to address the risk factors which are modifiable such as salt, sugar and related items." Unless these factors are addressed, it would not be sustainable for any country to manage the complications due to NCD. Reducing salt intake is among the most cost-effective strategies.
Dr Selva Vinayagam said that almost 70-80% of the salt we consume is from hidden sources and not direct consumption. This is due to the increased ease of ordering food at home and eating out. There should be a certain level of action that we as individuals can do and also certain actions which we need to do at a population level or community level that government.