Studies Show Eating Too Much Papadom Could Lead To High Blood Pressure And Heart Attacks
High sodium levels could increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as cause high blood pressure.
By Andrea Tang
The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) recently issued a warning stating that papadom contains dangerously high levels of sodium
According to New Straits Times, a laboratory test was conducted on 11 samples of papadom and CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris has confirmed that the samples tested contained more than 1,000mg/100gm of sodium.
Additionally, four of the samples contained more than 2000mg/100gm of sodium.
To put things into perspective, the recommended intake of sodium for Malaysians should only be around 2,000mg a day
Idris gave an example that if a person eats five pieces of papadom in a meal, they would have already consumed 1,300mg of sodium.
"If you add sodium consumed from the other foods in the meal, you would have easily consumed more than (the recommended intake) of 2,000mg of sodium in one day," he said.
It is also reported that frequent consumption of papadom can cause high blood pressure and even increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes
"If (papadom are) consumed in excess, the dough used in making the papadom can stick to the intestines causing constipation, hyperacidity and gas in some cases," Idris said.
He added that since papadom are often left to dry in the open, they are exposed to many air pollutants.
Apparently, the sodium levels in papadom are not the only thing that is dangerous to consume
According to Sinar Harian, the spices used to make the crunchy delight can also be harmful due to the adicity caused if consumed regularly.
The way papadom were made is also another concern, as roasted or fried ones could form a cancer-causing substance known as acrylamide.