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Study by Indian Body, Center for Chronic Disease Control Reiterates Link Between Lower Salt Intake and Reduced Hypertension & Cardiovascular Disease

Dec 05, 2025

New Delhi [India], December 5: A new study by the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) for the first time concurrently estimated the daily salt and iodine consumption levels of the adult population in India and examined the effect of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended salt intake levels on iodine levels. The study demonstrated that in India, where universal salt iodization is mandatory, a reduction in salt intake to the Government of India's National Multisectoral NCD Action Plan and WHO-recommended levels of <= 5 g/d does not compromise the level of iodine intake. This was measured by the gold standard method of collecting and analysing 24-hour urine samples for salt intake and iodine intake by measuring Urinary Iodine Concentration (UIC) and urinary iodine excretion (UIE). These findings provide strong support for the current recommendations to reduce population salt intake to prevent hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are rapidly increasing in India. Notably, salt reduction is unlikely to impact iodine supplementation efforts, indicating compatibility between the two interventions, which should be continuously monitored through robust surveillance. The study can be accessed here.