The Ministry of Health (MOH) has warned people of excessive consumption of salt in food; as it increases the risk of hypertension, heart attack and stroke, let alone heart failure and health problems in the kidney, May Allah forbid.
The MOH has pointed out, via
an awareness video (available only in Arabic) published on its YouTube channel, that the majority of people consume salt in their food but they don’t realize the risks or benefits of salt. Besides, it highlighted that the chemical composition of salt is made up of two elements; sodium and chloride, and it has several sources, such as: tinned food, pickles, fast food, and cheeses.
Within the same vein, the MOH recommended that daily salt consumption for an adult person should not exceed one teaspoon of salt, equivalent to 5 grams of salt or two grams of sodium. Furthermore, it indicated that people can use health substitutes of salt, such as lemon, or add some flavors like herbs and spices, such as: garlic, onion, cardamom, coriander, thyme, dill, cumin and turmeric powder to accept the taste of food. Finally, the MOH underscored that balancing in salt consumption is one of the most important steps to maintain human health.