New research published on November 21, 2018, has singled out the salt shaker as a major contributor to excess salt intake among Kenyan households, with nearly a quarter of respondents admitting they add salt to food that is already seasoned.
The findings come from one of 11 studies released in the international journal BMC Public Health through the Health ministry. The research examined how Kenyans are responding to the drivers of lifestyle diseases by looking at alcohol, sugar, salt, fruit and vegetable consumption among 4,484 participants.
Men emerged as the biggest consumers of added salt, and the study linked that pattern to more reports of high blood pressure and other heart-related problems. Younger men aged 18 to 29, especially those who were employed, lived in urban areas and had higher education, were the most likely to add salt to food that had already been salted.
Nutritionist Sally Karengi of Nairobi said the trend is tied to the growing nyama-eating culture. “This group is the main driver of the now popular nyama-eating culture, also associated with heavy salting,” she said.
The study also pointed to wider unhealthy eating and drinking habits. It reported dangerous alcohol, tobacco, salt and sugar consumption patterns, alongside poor intake of fruits and vegetables and irregular physical activity among most Kenyans.
Among students, salty packaged foods such as groundnuts, snacks and canned items like pickles were especially popular. The report also found that a third of men aged 18 to 29 added sugar to drinks that were already sweetened, compared with about a quarter of women in the same age group.
Women aged 19 to 29, however, were said to consume more processed foods high in sugar than any other group. The authors warned that high dietary sugar intake is associated with insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, as well as hypertension, obesity and heart disease.
Although almost 90 per cent of respondents said they knew the health risks of too much salt and sugar, only about half said they would cut their daily intake.
The study adds to growing concern over diet-related illness in Kenya, where unhealthy food choices, low fruit and vegetable intake and limited exercise continue to fuel preventable disease risks.
