2017

A systematic review of all studies that reported median or mean dietary salt intake in Indian adults aged 19 years and older has been released. The review found that salt intakes ranged from 5.22g to 42.3g per day, with a mean weighted salt intake of 10.98g/day, double to WHO recommendation of 5g per day. To view the review, please click here.

A further study estimated salt intake in Delhi and Haryana in north India and Andhra Pradesh in south India using 24 hour urine samples. Salt intakes were similar to those found in the above review, with 9.45g/day in Delhi and Haryana and 9.46g/day in Andhra Pradesh.

2014

The George Institute for Global Health, in partnership with the CCDC, Public Health Foundation of India and the Wolfson Institute, began developing a national salt reduction program for India. The Project is due to last 3 years and will produce a comprehensive action plan for the Indian government to implement. The project aims are to carry out a comprehensive stakeholder analysis with government, industry, academia, consumers and NGOs, collect baseline population sodium intakes and KABs related to sodium, identify the main sources of salt in the diet and develop a food composition database.

For more information, please visit the George Institute’s website, or click here.

2012

A new modelling study predicted that if salt intake in India were to stay the same, 8.3million myocardial infarctions, 830,000 strokes and 2.0 million associated deaths per year in Indian adults (aged 40-69 years) could be expected. A decrease in salt intake of 3g/day over 30 years could reduce annual MIs by 350,000, strokes by 48,000 and deaths by 81,000. To view the modelling study, please click here.