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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
The fault in our salt: The condiment's cultural pull in India — and why it comes at a cost to public health
In one of Hindi cinema's most iconic scenes, Kalia in Sholay swears by a pinch of salt — 'Sardaar, maine aapka namak khaaya hai' — as he pledges his loyalty to Gabbar. The ubiquitous grainy white condiment failed to save his life and in the 50 years since, a shift in consumption patterns and lifestyles has seen salt slowly eating away at Indians' health. While the permissible amount of salt consumption, as prescribed by the World Health Organisation, is 5 gm a day per person (2,000 mg of sodium or about a teaspoon of salt), several studies have pointed to how Indians consume more than double the amount, posing risks of hypertension, stroke and heart diseases. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition's (ICMR-NIN) 2024 Dietary Guidelines for Indians, existing evidence reveals a 'deleterious impact of high salt intake on blood vessels and blood pressure', which in turn can cause heart attack, stroke and/or kidney problems. High amounts of salt in the body results in water retention, which further increases the pressure on the heart to pump larger volumes of fluid, causing hypertension. The primary culprit, experts agree, is ultra-processed food. According to the NIN's Dietary Guidelines, processed foods such as 'snacks, savouries, soups, sauces, ketchup, salted butter, cheese, canned foods, papads, and salted dry fish, salted nuts/dry fruits contribute to higher intake of salt. Preserved meats/vegetables and ready-to-eat foods contain a lot of sodium'. Prompted by the 'alarming' salt consumption patterns, earlier this month, ICMR-NIE (the National Institute of Epidemiology) launched Project Namak, a three-year-long community-led programme that focuses on salt reduction in individuals with hypertension. Sharan Murali, senior scientist at ICMR-NIE and the principal investigator of Project Namak, says, 'Our research team evaluated the hypertension component of the NP-NCD (National Programme for Control and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases) programme in 21 districts in the country and understood that 78 per cent of the individuals with hypertension who come for follow-up receive some counselling for behavioural change in the OPD. This opportunity may be used to counsel the individuals with hypertension on dietary salt reduction as an add-on along with the medications.' Over the last two decades, there have been several such studies, including those published in the Journal of Hypertension, Journal of the American Heart Association and Nutrients, among others, that point to high salt intake among Indians. According to India Salt Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034 by Claight Corporation published this year, the India salt market reached around USD 2.32 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.20% between 2025 and 2034, reaching almost USD 4.23 billion by 2034. With experts also warning against too little salt — Dr Vivekanand Jha of the George Institute of Global Health says 'physiologically, at least 500 mg of sodium is compatible with good health' — how does one strike a balance with something as ubiquitous as salt? Historians say that the earliest evidence of salt production in India can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization, although consumption would date even further back, 'particularly 11,000 years ago or a little later when they realised that they need to add salt to their diet,' notes Kurush Dalal, archaeologist and culinary anthropologist. 'Salt is indispensable to all mammals. As a rule, hunter gatherers used to get all the salt they needed from the food they ate. They didn't need to add anything at all. It's only when we became farmers that we started adding salt,' he says. 'On every continent', notes Mark Kurlansky in his book Salt: A World History, 'once human beings began cultivating crops, they began to look for salt to add to their diet. How they learned of this need is a mystery… however, most people choose to eat far more salt than they need, and perhaps this urge — the simple fact that we like the taste of salt — is a natural defense.' With that, salt became one of the most valuable commodities of trade. Kurlansky notes, 'Where people ate a diet consisting largely of grains and vegetables, supplemented by the meat of slaughtered domestic farm animals, procuring salt became a necessity of life, giving it great symbolic importance and economic value. Salt was one of the first international commodities of trade; its production was one of the first industries and, inevitably, the first state monopoly.' In India, salt holds a deeply symbolic value given how Mahatma Gandhi shook an empire with a fistful of salt with his Salt Satyagraha. While the origins of salt consumption are global, Indians took to salt more organically. In the absence of any recorded evidence, SubbaRao M Gavaravarapu, scientist and Head of Nutrition Information, Communication and Health Education at NIN, cites 'traditional knowledge' to explain Indians' tendency to consume higher amounts of salt. 'We are a tropical nation and many of our people would work outdoors and perhaps to compensate for the sodium loss through sweat, sodium was incorporated through food,' he says. To understand the detrimental effect of this condiment, however, it is important to know that salt (NaCl, with sodium and chloride ions in a 1:1 ratio) is only as harmful as its sodium content. And that, given our shifting eating patterns, sodium comes from more than just the salt we consume. While, as the NIN guidelines say, 'a major amount of sodium does come from the visible addition of salt', there are also innocuous ways sodium makes its way into our bloodstream. For instance, there is sodium bicarbonate or baking soda, the indispensable ingredient in bakery products. There's also monosodium glutamate or MSG which gives food its umami or savoury flavour and is commonly present in canned food. Then there's sodium nitrite, which is commonly used by commercial meat processing units to preserve meat, and sodium benzoate, which gives acidic foods and beverages such as colas, soft drinks, pickles, salad dressings and jams and preserves their shelf life. And for those into carbonated drinks such as diet soda, there's sodium saccharin to reckon with — all of which add to our sodium intake without any real addition of salt itself or table salt as we know it. Food critic and historian Pushpesh Pant reiterates the need for broadening the understanding of salt to manage one's sodium consumption. 'In Sanskrit, the word for salt is lavana, which does not necessarily mean sodium chloride, which we know as table salt. It could mean potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate. It could be anything which is alkali,' he says. Khar, the alkali ash that is commonly used in food in the Northeast, is sodium carbonate, he explains. Experts broadly agree that among the easiest ways to combat this excessive supply of sodium to our bodies is to consume less table salt — and achieve a better balance of flavours. In his seminal 1998 work, A Historical Dictionary of Indian Food, the late food historian K T Achaya notes that there are six 'pure' tastes: madhura (sweet), amla (sour), lavana (salty), katu (pungent), tikta (bitter) and kasaya (astringent). 'Every meal was expected to include all the six tastes, and in the order just listed, according to Sushrutha (ancient Indian physician and doctor),' the book says. Traditionally, the use of salt in cooking has been in tandem with the other five tastes, Pant explains, while saying that different regional cuisines in India have their own equation with salt. 'If you are a coastal person, most of your salt would come from sea water fish. The pungency of mustard oil, which is used generously in Bengali cuisine, ensures a limited requirement of salt…Now, if you are a Maratha living away from the coast line, and you are eating millets, which are not very palatable on their own, you will increase the levels of salt and chillies. Or if you are having preserved foods like papad or bari, salt content is higher,' Pant says. Concerns of excessive salt intake and its detrimental effects on public health have prompted a host of studies and small-scale interventions to produce 'low-sodium' salt. This involves replacing a part of the sodium in sodium chloride with other additives, primarily potassium. But so far, these experiments haven't achieved the required scale in India. 'The concern in salt is the sodium. To reduce sodium, other kinds of salts are added. Mostly, it is replaced with potassium but there are issues with low-sodium salts — it is expensive and its supply is short,' says NIN's Gavaravarapu. The practice of adding potassium to packaged common salt, however, is yet to take off on a mass scale in the country given the lack of India-specific studies and with little clarity around its potential benefits or perceived risks. Dr K Srinath Reddy, founder president of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) who formerly headed the Department of Cardiology at AIIMS, says that following initial trials across the world, where part of the sodium in salt was replaced with either potassium or magnesium, there were concerns over whether it could 'cause harm to people with reduced renal and kidney function'. 'Potassium is a bit corrosive, so we would have to use it in concentrations that won't damage the lining of the stomach and intestines. There were also concerns over whether low-sodium salt would cause hyperkalemia (excess potassium levels in the blood) in the elderly with renal function though there were successful trials in the US that said it was safe for them. But the findings weren't accepted because the trials were small,' Reddy says, while pointing to a study conducted in China by the George Institute for Global Health. With a 'fairly large' sample size of over 20,000 participants from 600 rural villages in five provinces in the country, the China Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSaSS), published in 2023 and conducted over five years, found that 'replacing salt with a reduced-sodium added-potassium 'salt substitute' significantly lowers the risk of stroke, heart disease, and death'. The institute has submitted a funding request to ICMR to conduct a similar study in India, said Dr Vivekananda Jha, Executive Director at The George Institute for Global Health, India. 'The study in China proves the point that lower than usual levels of dietary sodium can be tolerated without ill-effects, and a certain amount of potassium is required to balance the sodium. But whether that's going to become public policy in India, whether people are going to accept the altered tastes, we will have to see,' says Dr Reddy, emphasising that 'ideally', potassium, which negates the effects of sodium, should be consumed in the form of fruits and vegetables rich in the mineral. 'One can consume bananas and coconut water. But everybody may not be able to take all of it all through the year. So introducing a salt substitute like in the China trial is something we should maybe consider… Do some pilots to see what the response is, what the safety is, and what the popular acceptance is,' he adds. The last time a population-level health intervention in salt was carried out was in 1962, when common salt was fortified with iodine under the National Goitre Control Programme. Presently, all packaged salt sold in India, from common salt to rock salt, is iodised. NIN's Gavaravarapu flags another, largely behavioural, concern regarding low-sodium substitutes not being 'salty enough'. 'People think that because it is low-sodium, they can have more of it. Ideally, you should use it even less than usual so that the benefit of replacing it with potassium is passed on,' he says. While we wait for more research and consensus on reducing the sodium component in common salt, experts advocate the need to create awareness among consumers. Dr Reddy and NIN's Gavaravarapu reveal that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is looking at the feasibility of 'front of the package labeling' that would explicitly warn customers of high levels of sugar, salt and trans fat, among others. 'If a package notes that it has so many grams per cent of fat or carbohydrate or trans fats, unless I have studied nutrition, I wouldn't understand any of it. That's why you require warning labels that communicate clearly and help people recognise there's a problem with the salt or sugar in the product,' says Dr Reddy. The UK and Ireland, for instance, follow a 'traffic light packaging' model, where red, amber and green colours are used to indicate the levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar, and salt in food products. Public health scientist and epidemiologist Dr Monika Arora says the country needs a behavioural change in terms of salt consumption. 'Salt can be reduced in the food served in schools, hospitals and government canteens, which are regulated places. The tongue and palate get adjusted to a gradual reduction. Midday meal is an excellent way of going about it. Another way is to tax high-salt products, making it an incentive for the industry to start reformulating their products,' she says. Celebrity chef and entrepreneur Sanjeev Kapoor says he realised the dangers of excess salt much before it became a talking point. 'When I dived deeper into healthier food options, I realised that it is not only sugar that is the culprit, but also salt,' he says. He also joined hands with the government to raise awareness about healthy food habits through FSSAI's 'Eat Right Movement' that focussed on 'reduction of high fat, sugar and salt foods in the diet'. 'We have to understand that taste is something that you get used to. Your palate gets trained. Salt is a flavour enhancer. If there is low salt in a dish, other flavours may also seem muted. But it also hides flavours. Which means if you add too much salt in a dish, the top note is of salt and you never experience the real flavour of other ingredients. If you want to use less salt, you can start by enhancing the flavour with other ingredients. Lemon works really well as do herbs like mint, coriander, basil and tulsi,' he says. While cutting down on salt may seem like hard work, Kapoor's new catchphrase may hold the key — around 20 years ago, while he started with 'Namak Swad Anusar (salt as per taste)', he now swears by 'Namak Sehat Anusar (salt as per health)'.
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First Post
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Son of Sardaar 2 new trailer: Ajay Devgn-Mrunal Thakur starrer takes the madness several notches higher
Highlighting how Jassi is pulled in every direction, by emotions, confusion, and full-blown chaos, the Duja Trailer puts the spotlight on how a Sardaar may stumble, but when he stands… he stands tall, because giving up is never an option! read more 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year as Ajay Devgn returns as Jassi in Son of Sardaar 2, the biggest family entertainer of the year, hitting screens this August. The first trailer gave audiences a glimpse into the madness unfolding in Scotland, but the Duja Trailer takes the chaos several notches higher, diving deep into the world of Jassi and the madness that follows him! FOUR PROBLEMS, ONE SARDAAR! From falling for jootha pyaar, getting tangled with four crazy women, and getting caught in the crossfire of the mafia, to being stuck with Bebe da vaada — Jassi's life is a ticking time bomb of chaos and comedy. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Highlighting how Jassi is pulled in every direction, by emotions, confusion, and full-blown chaos, the Duja Trailer puts the spotlight on how a Sardaar may stumble, but when he stands… he stands tall, because giving up is never an option! Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the film boasts a power packed starcast featuring Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra, Mrunal Thakur, Neeru Bajwa, Chunky Panday, Kubbra Sait, Deepak Dobriyal, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sharat Saxena, Ashwini Kalsekar, Sahil Mehta and the late Mukul Dev. If the first film brought the masti, this one promises to double it. Presented by Jio Studios and Devgn Films, A Devgn Films and SOS 2 Limited production, Son of Sardar 2 is produced by Ajay Devgn and Jyoti Deshpande. Produced by N R Pachisia and Pravin Talreja and co-produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak. Son Of Sardaar 2 is releasing on 1st of August 2025.
News18
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Watch: Mrunal Thakur's Flower Errand Comes With A Sweet Message For Paparazzi
Last Updated: Dressed in a light blue buttoned top and beige trousers, Mrunal blended boss-lady vibes with laid-back charm. Mrunal Thakur just gave her fans the most refreshing moment and no, it wasn't during an event or via a social media post. The actress was spotted casually shopping for flowers at a local shop. Dressed in a light blue buttoned top and beige trousers, Mrunal blended boss-lady vibes with laid-back charm. Add those black sunnies and she served a look worth bookmarking – simple, striking and oh-so-Mrunal. But it wasn't just the outfit stealing all the limelight. When the paparazzi tried to do what they are best at, catching extra shots of Mrunal, she flashed her bright smile and cheekily told them to take rest in Marathi. 'Aaram kara," she said. Isn't it sweet? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood) Mrunal Thakur has been keeping busy with back-to-back shoots and promotional endeavours. Lately, she has been out and about promoting her upcoming film Son Of Sardaar 2 alongside Ajay Devgn. Directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, the comedy drama features an impressive star cast including Ravi Kishan, Sanjay Mishra, Neeru Bajwa, Chunky Pandey, Kubbra Sait, Deepak Dobriyal, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sharat Saxena, Sahil Mehta and the late Mukul Dev. The trailer of the film, unveiled earlier this month, brought back Ajay Devgn as lively Jassi. It is packed with action, quirky humour, drama and an unmissable Punjabi flair set against the scenic backdrop of Scotland. Sharing the clip on Instagram, Ajay Devgn wrote, 'Action! Emotions! Confusion ka bhandaar. JASSI is back, aur iss baar sab kuch double hain! (And this time everything is double.) Warning: Trailer may cause excessive laughter, confusion, and Sardaar ke side effects! Sardaar Is Back." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) Adding to Mrunal's impressive filmography is Dacoit, set to release in December 2025. In the film, Mrunal stars opposite Adivi Sesh, breathing life into a story about the relationship between love and rebellion. It is being shot in both Hindi and Telugu. Dacoit is helmed by Shaneil Deo and produced by Supriya Yarlagadda under the Annapurna Studios banner. That's not all. She will also share screen space with Varun Dhawan and Pooja Hegde in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by David Dhawan. The film also boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Maniesh Paul, Jimmy Shergill, Mouni Roy, Chunkey Panday, Rakesh Bedi and Ali Asgar. First Published: July 18, 2025, 16:42 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Did you know Ravi Kishan's role in 'Son of Sardaar 2' was first offered to Sanjay Dutt
Ravi Kishan is set to appear alongside Ajay Devgn in the upcoming film 'Son of Sardaar 2'. At a recent event, he shared that the role he's playing was originally offered to Sanjay Dutt . When that didn't materialize, Ajay Devgn reached out to him and offered him the part. During the trailer launch event of Son of Sardaar 2, Ravi Kishan shared his excitement about playing the role of a Sardaar for the first time. "Sanju Baba was supposed to do this earlier, but it didn't happen. When Ajay sir approached me, I was honestly stressed and concerned. But his belief in me, made me do this character. Ajay sir told me, 'Ravi, you can do it.' He gave me strength." The film stars Ajay Devgn, Mrunal Thakur , Sanjay Dutt, and Vindu Dara Singh in key roles. The film also features the late Mukul Dev, who was part of the cast before his untimely passing. Ajay recently shared the release date of the film and also the first official poster. He captioned the post, 'The Return of the Sardaar #SOS2 in cinemas near you on 25th July. #SardaarIsBack #SonOfSardaar2.' 'Son of Sardaar 2' is all set to release in theatres on July 25, 2025. The film is a sequel to the 2012 hit Son of Sardaar. It will be Devgn's second release of the year, following the success of Raid 2 at the box office. The original film featured Sonakshi Sinha in the lead, with Ajay as Jassi and Sanjay Dutt as Billu. In the sequel, Sanjay Dutt returns, this time playing a Don. Sanjay Mishra will take over a role that was previously played by Ravi Kishan. The film is directed by Vijay Kumar Arora . Sanjay Dutt Weighs In on 'Raja Saab' vs 'Dhurandhar' Clash: 'I Hope They Don't'
NDTV
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Ajay Devgn Breaks Silence On Son Of Sardaar 2's Viral Pehla Tu Dance Step: " Bahut Mushkil Tha"
Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur's odd dance step to the song Pehla Tu from the film Son of Sardaar 2 has raised eyebrows across the internet. It also gave birth to a flurry of memes. Now, Ajay Devgn finally broke his silence on the memes at Son of Sardaar 2's trailer launch event in Mumbai. He was accompanied by his co-star, Mrunal Thakur. Ajay Devgn said, "I do not know about people. But I will tell you — aap log mera mazak uda rahe ho, lekin mere liye yeh bhi karna bahut mushkil hai. Woh maine kar diya, uska aap log shukar kariye (I do not know about others, but while you may be making fun of me, even doing this much was really difficult for me. Be thankful I managed to do that much)." To this, Mrunal Thakur quipped, 'So, actually it looks very easy, but when you do it yourself, you will understand that it is actually a big mental workout.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Varinder Chawla (@varindertchawla) In the Pehla Tu music video, Ajay Devgn wraps one arm around Mrunal Thakur. The two then hold hands and then the choreography is only using their hands, matching to the song's lyrics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) Coming to Son of Sardaar 2, the makers unveiled the film's trailer on July 11, 2025. It brings back Ajay Devgn as the fearless and lively Jassi. The video is replete with action-packed scenes, quirky humour, drama and an unmissable Punjabi flair against the scenic backdrop of Scotland Sharing the trailer on Instagram, Ajay Devgn wrote, 'Action! Emotions! Confusion ka bhandaar. JASSI is back, aur iss baar sab kuch double hain! (And this time everything is double.) Warning: Trailer may cause excessive laughter, confusion, and Sardaar ke side effects! Sardaar Is Back.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) A sequel of the 2012 film Son of Sardaar, the new film, directed by Vijay Kumar Arora, also features Sanjay Mishra, Vindu Dara Singh, Dolly Ahluwalia, Neeru Bajwa, Chunky Panday, Kubbra Sait, Deepak Dobriyal, Vindu Dara Singh, Roshni Walia, Sharat Saxena, and Sahil Mehta in key roles. Mukul Dev, who passed away on May 23, also has a cameo appearance.
