Deputy Country Director of International Medical Associates for Global Health Empowerment (IMAGHE), Samuel Ntiamoah has warned people about the consumption of highly salted foods like 'koobi'.

Speaking on Joy Prime's Prime Morning Show, he revealed that sodium, commonly known as salt, is a big contributor to the development of hypertension in people both young and old.

He cautioned that the modern lifestyle changes have dropped the risk age range from the 50s to the 30s and even the 20s in some cases.

“You know these days we have more of a sedentary lifestyle. The kind of food we eat the things we engage in and even our choices. You realize that almost every weekend boys and girls who are engaging in certain drugs. It’s bringing the age bracket very low. Gone are the days where when you hear of these things you think about 50 years plus. Aging is a factor but recently lifestyle has become the most prominent factor.”

He went ahead to talk about how our diets influence how blood pressure in anyway. Some of the risk factors he mentioned are: processed foods, smoking, drinking as well as highly salted foods, especially 'koobi'.

Mr. Ntiamoah explained that although there was no direct cause for the rise and drop of blood pressure, abusing drugs and alcohol as well as eating lots of salty and processed foods increases the risk by put pressure on the heart and other organs.

He advised that we look out for sodium content on the packing of foods we buy as well as make sure that we stay within the required sodium intake range which is about only 2 tablespoons per day. He went ahead to discourage the adding of salt to already cooked food.

“Some people right on the table they want to add salt to the already cooked meal and start eating. These are thing we need to be mindful of. They stress on the heart and the kidneys who work hand in hand. The kidneys are working hard to clean out the waste that is already in the system and we are busy bugging them with more.”

He beseeched viewers to start reducing their salt intake once they start nearing the 30-year-old year bracket.

The medical advised that even if they are to be taken it should be in moderation along with regular exercise like walking or even jump rope.