Thais warned against consuming too much salt
Thai people consume twice as much salt as they need – every day, a recent survey has revealed.
Public Health Ministry deputy permanent secretary Dr Sopon Mekthon spoke about the survey findings as he launched a campaign for lower salt consumption. He explained that eating too much salt every day could lead to kidney and heart problems, hypertension or paralysis, and could be fatal.
These diseases were among chronic problems that cost the country up to Bt100 billion in medical care each year, he said.
According to the survey, Thais consume up to 10.8 grams of salt each day. The prescribed daily intake of salt should only be 5gm.
“Five grams is about one teaspoonful,” Sopon said, adding that this amount of salt was about 2,400 milligrams of sodium.
Prof Dr Kriang Tung-sanga, president of the Royal College of Physicians of Thailand, said cutting down on salt intake would help people steer clear of many diseases.
The Royal College of Physicians, the health ministry, Thai Health Promotion Foundation and several other medical associations have joined hands to launch the “Campaign for Reduced Salt Consumption in Thailand”.
Asst Prof Surasak Kantachuvessiri, who leads a network for reduced salt intake, said sodium was common in fish sauce, soy sauce, shrimp paste and oyster sauce. A plate of rice with curry or a bowl of noodles already contained a sizeable amount of sodium, he said.
“Sodium is also found in fermented food and snacks,” Sopon warned.
Surasak said the campaign would seek to inform people about the dangers of consuming too much salt or sodium. “We will also speak to food vendors to adjust the use of salt in their recipes.”
He said his network and Kasetsart University were exploring alternatives to salt.“We believe potassium and magnesium could provide that salty taste without sodium,” Surasak said.
