The common salt used daily in kitchens could in future become a factor in saving or losing lakhs of lives. According to a new global study, if potassium-enriched low-sodium salt is used in place of regular salt, around four lakh deaths could be prevented in India every year. In addition, nearly 15.2 lakh new cases of heart and kidney-related diseases could also be avoided.
The study, published in “Nature Health”, was prepared by researchers from the George Institute for Global Health on the basis of data from 193 countries. The research estimates that adopting low-sodium salt worldwide could prevent nearly 30 lakh deaths and more than one crore new cases of heart and kidney diseases every year.
Regular salt mainly contains sodium chloride, while low-sodium alternatives replace part of it with potassium chloride. This reduces the amount of sodium in food and increases potassium. High sodium intake is linked to increased blood pressure and a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney-related diseases.
The World Health Organization in 2025 recommended the use of potassium-enriched low-sodium salt for the general adult population. However, this option is not safe for everyone. For people suffering from serious kidney disease and those taking medicines that increase potassium levels, its consumption can be dangerous. Such people should therefore avoid changing regular salt without medical advice.
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