Low Salt Thailand Network: Many vegetarian dishes contain high sodium

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Many vegetarian dishes contain high sodium

 

 

BANGKOK, 11th October 2018 (NNT)-Thai Health Promotion Foundation and the Low Salt Thailand Network have revealed that 13 popular vegetarian dishes sampled at three major markets in Bangkok contain high levels of sodium. 

Members of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation and Low Salt Thailand Network tested the quantity of salt in various vegetarian dishes being sold at Yaowarat and Aor Tor Kor Market as well as Ying Charoen Market during the Vegetarian Festival in an attempt to find out if they contain high sodium levels. 

Dishes like Palo , Tom Chap Chai and Kanom Jeen Namya Kati were found to contain more than 1,000 milligrams of sodium, well in excess of the safe amount of 600 milligrams a person should have in a single meal. 

According to Kasikorn Research Center, the majority of people participating in the Vegetarian Festival are office workers who buy ready-to-eat meals on the street for their convenience, and choose what they’d like to eat based on the appearance of the food. 

The center also found that fermented vegetable dishes and meat replacement products contain a lot of salt. Given the amount of sodium found in vegetarian food, the Low Salt Thailand Network is encouraging people to choose what they are going to eat wisely to stay healthy and strong. 

Meanwhile, vegetarian food vendors in China town say they are selling even more than last year since a greater number of people have joined the vegetarian festival this year.

 

-- nnt 2018-10-11

[rkidlad]

Many Thai dishes are high in sodium. High in sodium food is addictive. If you’re like myself and you like to eat natural and healthy food, it just feels wrong when eating crappy high in sodium dishes. 

[ZeVonderBearz]

People jumping on the compassion bandwagon. Even CP jump on it, anything for a bit of Dosh. 

[Stargeezr]

Yup the veggie, high blood pressure festival begins!

[4evermaat]

Fortunately its not as bad as they say in most cases during the veggie season.  They should see how the (veg/non-veg) food is prepared all year round. Thais dont usually have a concept of subtlety; they pour on the chilli, salt, sugar, etc. 

 

The problem is not so much that the food contains salt/sugar/etc.  But often times they will add additional salt to the final dish. 

 

Some of the pre-saulted food is designed to be diluted or blended with other foods.  You dont need to add more salt on top of that. 

[Spike1938]

And they can't even imagine cooking without massive quantities of "chulot" (spelling?) which is monosodium glutamate. So, even if they don't add salt (sodium chloride) it's there.

 

[johnnysunshine]

Additionally, know that the quality of the salt is normally white processed salt which is toxic already from the bleaching and chemical processing to change the natural color, pink, to white for so-called purity.   If they used Himalayan Pink salt, which balances blood pressure and floods our bodies with trace minerals, they would be well served and serving their customers.   The only challenge is their customers may have to cut their hair and nails more often because of all of the minerals.   I speak from experience of ingesting the pink salt daily with water for 14 years this month.

Moreover, vegetarian restaurants are only increasing the number of possible chemicals, like paraquat, if they fail to use organic veggies in their cooking.   And, not to "beat on a dead horse", the vegetable oil which they choose in their cooking is not always the best, if it is Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Avacado Oil, or Olive Oil (lower temperatures only) okay, but some restaurants still use soybean oil (interferes with cognition) or worse, oil from previous days that has been cooked already.   Given the wonderful affordability of food in Thailand, it behoves us all to support those restaurants who stay informed and invest a little more money into buying higher quality salt, vegetables and fruits, cooking oils, and even sugar options (using coconut flower syrup or unrefined organic sugar instead of the nasty bleached white sugar).   Just say'n!

[Srikcir]

It's also possible that a frozen microwaveable vegan or vegetarian serving will be very high in salt content, not to mention possible other undesirable ingredients.

https://eatplants4life.com/are-frozen-vegan-meals-healthy/

[khunPer]

Actually, the latest scientific studies, and health experts, states that "low salt" is dangerous – less than 6 gram a day can even cause death, some studies says – normal people should have 6-12 gram a day; more than 12 gram is also dangerous, so it's a question of balance.

 

Also worth remembering that when it's warm, or hot, you'll sweat more, and loose salt and minerals, and therefore need to intake more salt and minerals – drinking lots of pure water only is problematic, and in some cases deadly – so especially when staying here in LoS you might need extra salt.

 

Source: World leading professor in obesity at University of Copenhagen, Arne Astrup, who also shared these articles...

Dash of Salt Does No Harm. Extremes Are the Enemy.

Are We Overdoing Salt Restrictions?

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