More young adults in their 30s and 40s are suffering strokes. The culprit: hidden sodium in instant noodles, meat pies, canned foods, and seasoning cubes.
When 38-year-old Amaka Chukwudi suffered a mild stroke, she was shocked. “I thought it was stress,” she said. “But the doctor said my blood pressure was sky-high. I was eating my way into an early grave.”
Public health experts now say Amaka’s case reflects a wider crisis. “We are not just what we eat. We are dying from what we eat,” said Dr Ekiyor Joseph, an American-trained physician. He warned that high salt intake is fueling systemic hypertension, which causes heart failure, stroke, and kidney damage.
Nigeria’s hypertension rate has surged to over 32.5%, up from 8.6% in 1995. More young adults in their 30s and 40s are suffering strokes. The culprit: hidden sodium in instant noodles, meat pies, canned foods, and seasoning cubes.
CAPPA’s Bukola Odele said Nigerians consume up to 10 grams of salt daily—twice the WHO-recommended limit.
“People are choosing between medication and food. It’s unsustainable,” said Dr Joseph.
Nigeria has launched National Sodium Reduction Guidelines aiming to cut salt intake by 30% by 2030.
CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, urged journalists to expose corporate resistance to regulation. “Nigerians are now falling sick not from hunger, but from what they eat,” he said.