It is dubbed a silent killer. But many tend to take the doctor’s advice with a pinch of salt. Literally. Studies show that Indians consume twice the recommended salt intake, exposing themselves to high health risks. While there is enough literature on the dangers of high salt diet in English, the same is not the case with vernacular languages.
Urdu readers can now heave a sigh of relief. For the first time perhaps, a good Urdu booklet on the need for reducing salt intake has hit the market. Abid Moiz explains the deleterious effects of excessive salt consumption in a telling manner in his book Namak Ka Istemal Kam Karein . Through charts and tables, the 35-page booklet lists the risks involved and the care to be taken.
Dr. Moiz talks about salt in a gripping manner, adopting a narrative style. In easy to understand language, he traces the history of salt and how it was earlier used as a preservative to store meat and other food. Salt is made up of 40 per cent sodium and 60 per cent chloride. “It might add to the flavour of food, but its overuse impacts the kidney and heart, says Dr. Moiz.
He also establishes a link between the excessive use of salt and high rate of calcium excretion. “Cutting down on salt is also necessary to prevent bones from becoming brittle,” he writes.
In the coming days, Dr. Moiz plans to bring out health series on different subjects such as low consumption of sugar, choosing the right of type of cooking oil, excessive use of fruits and vegetables.
Another interesting book recently penned by Dr. Moiz in Urdu is about medical tests - Aam Tibbi Muaine . It is quite informative as it talks in depth about different types of tests such as stool, body fluids tests, mammography, endoscopy, imaging and prenatal tests. There is also a chapter about unnecessary tests being prescribed by doctors these days. ‘Defensive medicine’ as it is called, is intended to avert future possibility of malpractice. Such tests are primarily to avoid liability rather than benefit the patient, says Dr. Moiz.
