Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Apr 20: With Indians consuming nearly double the recommended daily intake of salt, health experts are advocating a shift to potassium-enriched low-sodium salt substitutes as a simple and effective way to reduce hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk.
Current estimates indicate that people in India consume between 8 to 11 grams of salt per day, significantly exceeding the World Health Organization guideline of 5 grams. Excess salt intake is a major contributor to hypertension, which is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
Experts point out that nearly 80 per cent of sodium intake in India comes from salt added during home cooking, making dietary modification at this level crucial. Potassium-enriched low-sodium salt substitutes, which typically contain 70–75 per cent sodium chloride and 25–30 per cent potassium chloride, can help lower blood pressure without altering taste significantly.
Ambuj Roy from the Department of Cardiology at All India Institute of Medical Sciences said such substitutes could act as a “dietary vaccine” for hypertension, offering continuous cardiovascular protection without requiring major lifestyle changes.
Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director of The George Institute for Global Health India, noted that strong scientific evidence supports the role of these substitutes in reducing cardiovascular risks by addressing both high sodium and low potassium intake.
Meenakshi Sharma emphasised the need for further trials and research to assess benefits and risks across diverse populations, while Sandeep Mahajan highlighted that potassium-based salts are safe for the majority, with caution required only for individuals with advanced kidney disease.
Studies have shown promising results. A 2021 trial in rural India reported a reduction of 4.6 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure among users of potassium-enriched salt. A large-scale study in China also found significant reductions in stroke, cardiovascular events and overall mortality.
Experts suggest that wider adoption of such salt substitutes could prevent up to 14 per cent of cardiovascular deaths annually in India. They have also recommended integrating these salts into public food programmes such as mid-day meals, public distribution systems, hospital kitchens and large-scale catering services, along with encouraging food industry reformulation to reduce sodium content.
They stressed that improving awareness, proper labelling and targeted screening can help safely scale this intervention and make it a key component of India’s strategy to tackle non-communicable diseases.