ICMR Issues Warning on Excess Salt

ICMR Issues Warning on Excess Salt

Why in News ICMR Issues Warning on Excess Salt? 

Recently, ICMR-NIE raised concern over India’s growing silent health crisis linked to high salt consumption and started efforts in Punjab and Telangana to encourage people toward low-sodium food habits.

Silent Salt Crisis in India: ICMR-NIE’s Findings

• High Salt Intake: The average Indian consumes nearly 9.5 grams of salt per day, which is almost double the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit of 5 grams daily. This figure came from studies conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and supported by National Institute of Nutrition (NIN).

• Serious Health Risks: Eating too much salt raises blood pressure silently over time. According to Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data from 2019, around 1.63 million deaths in India were caused by high blood pressure-related conditions. 

• Indian Diet: Traditional Indian food is rich in flavor, but it often uses salt in high amounts. Pickles, papads, salted snacks, chutneys, and spice mixes all contribute to daily intake. A study from AIIMS Delhi in 2023 found that nearly 60% of daily salt comes from homemade food rather than processed items. This shows that even home-cooked meals need careful monitoring. 

• Silent Warning: In July 2025, the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) flagged the situation as a “silent epidemic.” The warning was based on extensive public health surveillance and community health data collected over the last five years. ICMR and NIE stated that current salt habits will likely increase India’s non-communicable disease.

What is Silent Salt Epidemic and How Salt is a Major Health Threat

• About: The term “Silent Salt Epidemic” refers to the unnoticed health damage caused by long-term excessive salt intake. It doesn’t spread from one person to another. It silently increases health risks across large populations. 

• • • A 2024 dietary behavior study in Mumbai revealed that 70% of families were unaware of how much salt they used daily.

• Salt: Salt is a naturally occurring mineral found in oceans, rocks, and even underground deposits. People have relied on salt for generations to preserve food and enhance taste.

• In its refined form, it appears as small white crystals and is known chemically as sodium chloride. 

• A small spoon of salt weighs around 6 grams, which already exceeds the daily limit for a healthy adult.

• • • Salt contains two main parts—sodium and chloride. Sodium is around 40 percent and chloride is about 60 percent of its makeup.
    • The body needs sodium to balance fluids, send nerve signals, and support muscle work.

• How Salt Affects Humans?

• • Eating too much salt causes the body to hold extra water, which increases blood volume.
  • Higher blood volume puts pressure on blood vessels and slowly weakens the heart.
  • This pressure can harm small vessels in the kidneys and slowly cause damage.
  • Salt also lowers calcium in the bones, raising the chance of bone weakness over time.
  • A study from the Indian Journal of Nephrology (2022) found that salt overload was a factor in nearly 20% of new kidney disease cases in urban hospitals. 
  • High salt intake may contribute to stomach lining damage and has links to stomach cancer in older adults.

ICMR’s Action to Curb Excess Salt Consumption

• ICMR began a three-year project in 2024 that aims to explore how counselling and education can help individuals lower their salt intake. 

• The study will follow people over time to see how salt reduction affects their blood pressure and overall sodium consumption. By the end of the study in 2027, the council hopes to create a proven model for salt reduction that can be scaled across India.

• The project places special emphasis on people already living with high blood pressure, as they face greater risks from high salt intake. According to data from the National Health Profile (2023), about 29% of adults in India suffer from hypertension.
• ICMR selected Punjab and Telangana as the two pilot states for this intervention. These regions were chosen based on health statistics and food habits. 
• Punjab has a high number of hypertension cases and traditional diets rich in salt-heavy items like pickles and snacks. Telangana, on the other hand, shows rising urban hypertension linked to processed food consumption.
• This kind of data-backed model has already shown success in other countries like Finland and Japan, where national salt reduction led to major drops in stroke and heart disease rates.

Tips to Reduce Daily Salt Intake

• Cook with Less Salt: Instead of relying on salt for flavor, try using natural herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, coriander, or lemon juice. Natural spices not only make food taste better but also support good health. In 2023, nutrition experts at AIIMS advised that cooking at home with controlled salt levels significantly lowers hypertension risk. 

• Limit Packaged Foods: Processed items are made for longer shelf life and taste enhancement, but they silently raise daily salt intake. A study from the National Institute of Nutrition (2022) revealed that more than 60% of sodium in urban Indian diets came from packaged foods. Choosing fresh ingredients, home-cooked meals, and seasonal fruits or vegetables can drastically lower this intake.

• Use Salt Substitutes: Salt substitutes made with potassium chloride or herb blends are becoming more popular as alternatives to regular table salt. These products provide similar flavor but lower sodium levels. It is important to consult a doctor before switching to substitutes, especially for people with kidney disease.
• Prepare Spice Mixes: Instead of using store-bought spice blends like garam masala, chaat masala, or curry powders—which often contain added salt—people can make their own versions at home. Homemade spice mixes allow full control over ingredients and let you skip the salt entirely.