Thai Food: Thais are consuming TWICE the level of WHO's sodium recommendation

[webfact]

File photo for reference only

 

A virtual forum heard that Thai people are consuming twice the limit of sodium in their diet when compared to World Health Organization recommendations. 

 

This is mostly through the addition of salt in Thai food and can be responsible for a whole host of NCDs or noncommunicable diseases.

 

These include high blood pressure and heart disease in particular. 

 

Salt reduction is seen as a key measure to reduce such diseases.

 

The Virtual NCD Forum 2021 event was organised by a group committed to reducing salt under the umbrella of the Department of Disease Control.

 

The Thai media also reported that Thais were not consuming enough potassium that along with the correct amount of salt helps maintain proper body function. 

 

-- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-07-27

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[tonray]

That looks just like the crab curry my GF ordered via GRAB-Food this weekend. I try to gently push her into healthier eating choices but cultural norms are a hard thing to change.

[lujanit]

Thai food is full of salt and sugar.  Just look at the condiments on the table when you are next allowed to eat in a restaurant.

[landosmiles]

Not great reporting - presumably the virtual forum had a web link, but no link to the forum, nor to the group's website, nor even the date of the event. But more importantly, presumably the forum got their figure from somewhere, and no mention of that real source.

 

I did find Reducing cardiovascular disease (hypertension and sodium) (who.int) which seems to reference a similar figure. However, that page isn't explicit about dates/sources, but it does mention a 2015 study.

 

Estimated dietary sodium intake in Thailand: A nationwide population survey with 24‐hour urine collections - Chailimpamontree - 2021 - The Journal of Clinical Hypertension - Wiley Online Library was released in 2021 and has a lower, but still bad, figure of ~1.8x the recommended level.

 

It seems like most of the world needs to reduce sodium intake, per Where’s the salt? | Harvard Public Health Magazine | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Its figures seem to be from 2013, but at that point it looks like Thailand was perhaps ~2.5x the recommended level.

[Deli]

in the meantime we all know that the WHO is run by a bunch of W-anchors. Why listening to them any further /

[Tarteso]

Twice of salt levels and same of sugar…

All is right.. ????

[johnny49r]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A virtual forum heard that Thai people are consuming twice the limit of sodium in their diet when compared to World Health Organization recommendations. 

Sodium overload is only the tip of the iceberg in Thai meals. Most food is prepared using copious amounts of cooking oil: Palm, Coconut, Soi Bean, Peanut, etc. Additionally large amounts of sugar is added to many dishes and Thai restaurants substitute salt & pepper condiments with sugar, soy sauce, and chili. This is a slow gut bomb recipe that is responsible for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other heath issues. 

If the highways don't get ya the food will!

 

[digger70]

Thai Food: Thais are consuming TWICE the level of WHO's sodium recommendation.

 

How would they know? 

Did they take in consideration that in this Tropical land one seems to Perspire more than the people in the Noord pole? 

Here one Needs Salt at the Noord Pole they Need Fat.

[tlandtday]

14 minutes ago, johnny49r said:

Sodium overload is only the tip of the iceberg in Thai meals. Most food is prepared using copious amounts of cooking oil: Palm, Coconut, Soi Bean, Peanut, etc. Additionally large amounts of sugar is added to many dishes and Thai restaurants substitute salt & pepper condiments with sugar, soy sauce, and chili. This is a slow gut bomb recipe that is responsible for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other heath issues. 

If the highways don't get ya the food will!

 

coconut oil is a very healthy cooking oil if you must fry however it is not commonly used here but the unhealthy palm oil is cause its way cheaper

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

This is mostly through the addition of salt in Thai food and can be responsible for a whole host of NCDs or noncommunicable diseases.

Shock horror... can't be true.

Thai food is the best in the world.

[hotchilli]

1 minute ago, tlandtday said:

coconut oil is a very healthy cooking oil if you must fry however it is not commonly used here but the unhealthy palm oil is cause its way cheaper

I use coconut oil all the time.. not a high smoke point so not much good for deep fried foods.

Any oil that is refined should be avoided at all costs.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, tonray said:

That looks just like the crab curry my GF ordered via GRAB-Food this weekend. I try to gently push her into healthier eating choices but cultural norms are a hard thing to change.

Looks more like something the dog expelled.

[mikebike]

4 hours ago, lujanit said:

Thai food is full of salt and sugar.  Just look at the condiments on the table when you are next allowed to eat in a restaurant.

I have never seen salt on the table in a truely Thai restaurant.

[Cake Monster]

I would hate to even think about the Salt and other harmful Ingredients such as MSG and preservatives, that are omnipresent in everything that a 7/11 sells.

Probably have a coronary reading the label.

[Venom]

5 hours ago, lujanit said:

Thai food is full of salt and sugar.  Just look at the condiments on the table when you are next allowed to eat in a restaurant.

Not to mention MSG "Phong Churot" at every meal from cradle to grave. 

[johng]

1 hour ago, mikebike said:

I have never seen salt on the table in a truely Thai restaurant.

Fish sauce ?

[rwill]

2 hours ago, mikebike said:

I have never seen salt on the table in a truely Thai restaurant.

Nam pla,  fish sauce perhaps...

[mikebike]

Fish sauce is salty, but it is not salt on the table. Condiments are less of a concern than what is used in preparation.

[rudi49jr]

Probably true. My girlfriend puts salt on everything without even tasting it first. 

[snoop1130]

World Health Organization Concerned over Thais’ Low Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

 

 

BANGKOK (NNT) - The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables by the Thai population, particularly among the young.

 

WHO Thailand medical officer Dr. Renu Garg said the level of pesticide contamination in vegetables and fruits, aggressive marketing, ineffective labeling and easy access to unhealthy food products are key social and commercial determinants seen as the root cause of such unhealthy diets.

 

She said the country should seek ways to improve school meals, by increasing vegetable and fruit servings in school meals, to promote healthy diets among children. Selling sugary drinks in and around schools should also be reduced or banned.

 

Dr. Garg also raised concern over high salt intake, saying consuming too much salt can lead to obesity, diabetes and hypertension and the trends are heading in the wrong direction. Regulatory market restrictions should be enacted to ban inappropriate marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. Public campaigns to promote healthy diets should also be carried out.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-07-27

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ukrules]

You would think they're busy on other things right now, but no - nothing's going to keep them from their meddling!

[Scrotobike]

Fruit is so expensive in the land of fruit - could this be as a result of over exporting to say the land of the submarine?

[poskat]

when someone posts asking about where to find some type of western food, most of the replies consist of attacks bleating about how could they want that food, with all the delicious healthy thai food available.

 

now all the posts here talk about thai food as if it were prepared by satan himself.

[Scrotobike]

55 minutes ago, poskat said:

when someone posts asking about where to find some type of western food, most of the replies consist of attacks bleating about how could they want that food, with all the delicious healthy thai food available.

 

now all the posts here talk about thai food as if it were prepared by satan himself.

Ah you have met the missus?

[anchadian]

It's been like this from day 1.  Nothing new.

 

Thai food, fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, there's the problem.

Edited July 28, 2021 by anchadian

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns over insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables by the Thai population, particularly among the young.

If the WHO understood that the reason for the low consumption is due to the massive use of pesticides used during growth, and the residues left behind are knowingly being hidden from the public, they might understand why Thais will only eat minimal quantities.

[hotchilli]

17 hours ago, tlandtday said:

coconut oil is a very healthy cooking oil if you must fry however it is not commonly used here but the unhealthy palm oil is cause its way cheaper

Pure animal fat or dripping is the healthy way to go.

[Bangkok Barry]

I think the WHO should be far more concerned about the consumption of fermented fish.

[Misterwhisper]

13 hours ago, poskat said:

talk about thai food as if it were prepared by satan himself

If you'd met my former MiL, you'd know that you were not far off the mark with that notion.

[GreasyFingers]

14 hours ago, Scrotobike said:

Fruit is so expensive in the land of fruit - could this be as a result of over exporting to say the land of the submarine?

You must live in the city. Fruit is very cheap here except for durian. In season mangoes are 25 b/kilo, bananas, and the lychee type fruits about the same.