To cut down on excessive salt intake, most of us put in a little less salt into our food while cooking. But how many people know that many kinds of packaged food bought at stores contain sodium, which, over time can contribute to high blood pressure?
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A study by The George Institute for Global Health along with the Centre for Chronic Disease Control in New Delhi, found that of the over 7,000 packaged products studied, almost two-thirds either did not have a label with the sodium content on them, or had a misleading label — the amount of sodium displayed was lower than what the product actually contained, said Vivekanand Jha, executive director of the Institute.
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The study, which was conducted between 2010 and 2013, is to be published later this year, said Dr. Jha. “We studied a range of food items — from drinks to snacks — which most people tend to buy. Noodles and biscuits were among the foods that either did not have sodium labels or had incorrect ones,” he said.
Doctors in Chennai emphasise that any form of sodium will add up and eventually lead to hypertension, known as a silent killer and the world’s topmost cause of death. Uncontrolled hypertension is a major risk factor for kidney disease, said doctors, on the eve of World Kidney Day.
Salt intake in the society has increased over the last few decades, doctors say. “The increased amount of processed food we consume, increases sodium levels and contributes to hypertension,” said R. Vijayakumar, chief nephrologist, Billroth Hospital. “Salt is an acquired taste. Research has shown that communities that eat more salt are more hypertensive,” he said.
“The allowance per day per adult of sodium is two grams, and of sodium chloride 5 grams. But the average Indian consumes between 5 and 7.5 grams of sodium or 10 to 15 grams of sodium chloride per day,” said Rajan Ravichandran, director, MIOT Institute of Nephrology.
“People do not realise that many foods contain natural sodium, and in addition sodium is used as a preservative. And it is not only sodium chloride you have to be careful about — other forms of sodium too, can potentially cause problems,” he said.
Even children, said Dr. Ravichandran, eat more salt than they should. “One of the primary reasons is altered diets, including packaged and fast foods like pizzas,” he said, adding that savouries, soft drinks, tinned and canned food including fruits, all contain various levels of sodium, he said
With 35 per cent of the adult population in India having high blood pressure, salt reduction is a must, he said.
“When you buy food outside, you must know what is in it,” said B.A. Muruganathan, president, Hypertension Society of India. “Pickles, sauces, ketchups, prepared mixes, potato chips, paapads, biscuits, cakes, breads and pastries – all of these contain sodium,” he said. Consumers should be aware, said Dr. Muruganathan – both in reading labels and in regularly checking their blood pressure.
Children are more vulnerable, especially if they begin consuming excessive salt from a young age, said D. Divakar, senior consultant nephrologist, Fortis Malar Hospital. “They develop a craving for it and if taken over a long period, it can lead to hypertension when they are in the prime of their lives,” he said, adding that all bakery products generally had high levels of salt.
So the message? Check the labels of the food you buy for any kind of sodium content. Use salt that has more potassium chloride in it. And practice not adding salt in while cooking, but sprinkling a little while eating, say doctors.
According to the World Health Organisation:
1. Adults should consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium, or 5 grams of salt, and at least 3,510 mg of potassium per day
2. A person with either elevated sodium levels and low potassium levels could be at risk of raised blood pressure which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
3. Sodium is found naturally in a variety of foods, including milk and cream (approximately 50 mg of sodium per 100 g) and eggs (approximately 80 mg/100 g).
4. It is also found, in much higher amounts, in processed foods, such as bread (approximately 250 mg/100 g), processed meats, snack foods such as pretzels, cheese puffs and popcorn (approximately 1,500 mg/100 g), as well as in condiments such as soy sauce (approximately 7,000 mg/100 g), and bouillon or stock cubes (approximately 20,000 mg/100 g).
5. Currently, most people consume too much sodium and not enough potassium
6. Elevated blood pressure is a major risk for heart disease, stroke
Children with elevated blood pressure often become adults with elevated blood pressure