Too much sodium — which we mostly eat as salt — raises blood pressure, and raised blood pressure increases the risk of heart and blood-vessel disease. That is why cutting down on salt comes up so often in BP care.
How much is recommended
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults eat less than 5 grams of salt a day — just under a teaspoon, or less than 2,000 mg of sodium. The ICMR–National Institute of Nutrition’s Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024) likewise advise using iodised salt and keeping added salt to a maximum of 5 grams a day.
How much we actually eat
A national survey by ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, published in Scientific Reports in 2023, estimated that Indian adults eat about 8 grams of salt a day on average — around 8.9 g for men and 7.1 g for women. The same study found that fewer than one in three adults knew that a high salt intake could affect health.
Where the salt comes from
The salt shaker is only part of it. WHO points to processed foods such as bread, processed meat and snack foods, and to sauces and condiments. Foods that are often high in salt include pickles, papad, namkeen and other packaged snacks, instant noodles, ready-made sauces, and restaurant or takeaway food.
Simple ways to cut back
- Cook with less salt, and add flavour with herbs and spices instead.
- Keep the salt shaker off the table, and taste before adding any.
- Eat mostly fresh, minimally processed food; keep packaged snacks and sauces occasional.
- Read labels. Packets often list sodium rather than salt: multiply the sodium figure by 2.5 to get the salt (1,000 mg of sodium is about 2.5 g of salt).
- Cut down step by step — it is easier to stick to than a sudden change.
A word about “low-sodium” salt
Low-sodium salt substitutes usually replace part of the sodium with potassium. WHO’s 2025 guideline on these salts is meant for the general adult population and excludes people with kidney problems or other conditions that affect how the body gets rid of potassium. Ask your doctor before switching — especially if you have kidney disease or take regular medicines for blood pressure, the heart or the kidneys.
Eating less salt works alongside treatment; it does not replace it. Do not stop or reduce a BP medicine on your own.
ⓘThis is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor.
Sources
- WHO — “Sodium reduction” fact sheet
- WHO — “Use of lower-sodium salt substitutes: WHO guideline” (2025)
- ICMR–NIN — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024)
- ICMR–NCDIR — salt intake in the National NCD Monitoring Survey, Scientific Reports (2023)
Last reviewed 1 October 2026.