The Salt in Your Achaar
Salt is the oldest preservative in the Indian pantry, and achaar, papad, and salted dried fish are eaten across every region without a second thought. The problem is volume. A 2019 review published in the International Journal of Cancer found that high dietary salt intake is independently associated with a significantly elevated risk of gastric cancer, with populations consuming more than 6 grams of sodium per day facing roughly double the risk of those consuming less. The mechanism is direct: excess salt damages the stomach lining, creating chronic inflammation that makes cells more vulnerable to carcinogenic compounds. A single serving of mango achaar can carry 400 to 600 mg of sodium. Most households eat it daily.
