The habit of adding more soy sauce, fish sauce and the ever-present Maggi to their food is putting Thais at risk for kidney diseases, according to an expert.
Though the World Health standard suggests eating no more than 5 grams of salt per day, Thais consume a whopping 10.8 grams per day on average, according to Mahidol University’s Dr Surasak Kantachuvetsiri.
Surasak states that those with chronic kidney disease have a much higher rate of early death than those with kidneys that are healthy.
Other conditions that are tied to a high-sodium diet include: high blood pressure and heart disease, he added.
In addition to the items listed above, condiments such as shrimp and miso paste, prepared curry packets and flavored instant noodles are everyday Thai food staples that rate amongst the highest for salt content.
Aside from the love of salty dishes, last year health officials also revealed that an average Thai consumes way too much sugar — 26 teaspoons per day, four times more than the recommended amount of 6 teaspoons per day.
The survey found that most Thais get their daily dose of sugar from sweet beverages such as soft drinks, green tea, and coffee.
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