“You Need More Salt, Not Less” – Pastor Chris Oyakhilome Challenges Medical Warnings on Salt Consumption

General Overseer of LoveWorld Ministries, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, has stirred controversy with recent remarks urging people to increase—rather than reduce—their salt intake. Speaking during a Sunday service on May 4, Oyakhilome criticized medical professionals for warning against salt consumption, claiming such advice has contributed to strokes and other health issues.

According to the pastor, salt is not harmful. He asserted that through spiritual insight received while praying in tongues, he has come to understand that people actually need more salt, not less. Citing Mark 9:50—where Jesus says, “Salt is good”—Oyakhilome encouraged his congregation to challenge the prevailing fear around salt, emphasizing both its spiritual and physiological importance.

He argued that the presence of salt in hospital treatments—administered in various forms—proves that the issue lies not with salt itself, but with public misunderstanding. Oyakhilome emphasized that divine guidance should take precedence over scientific opinion, and urged believers to put more faith in spiritual direction.

The sermon has sparked a heated online debate. While supporters applauded the pastor for promoting what they called faith-based wisdom, critics—including some medical professionals—warned that such teachings could encourage disregard for medical advice, particularly among individuals with hypertension, kidney disease, or other salt-sensitive conditions.