JessicaHolden

TheNeedForLimitationsOnSodium
Duetoafastgrowingfastfoodnation,sodiumconsumptionduetoprocessedmeats,oils
andunhealthyfatshasskyrocketedinthepastyearswhichhasdetrimentaleffectsonan
individualsoverallhealth.Afterreadinganarticle,Reducingthesodiumpotassiumratiointhe
USdiet:achallengeforpublichealthbytheAmericanJournalofClinicalNutrition,astudywas
conductedof12,038adultmenandwomenaged20yearsoldoroldertoanalysesthemeanof
theirsodium,potassiumandcaloricintakein2nonconsecutive,24hourdietaryrecallthrougha
survey.Thepublicsdietarystandardforsodiumislessthan2300mgofNa/dayand1500mga
dayduetoolderageorhealthstatus,aswellasthestandardforpotassium.Resultsfromthe
studyshownthatparticipantsallowed2300mgofNa/dayorlessonly0.12%ofparticipantsmet
hesodiumandpotassiumguidelines.Participantsallowed1500mgofNa/dayorlessonly
0.015%metthedietaryguidelinesforsodiumandpotassium.Limitationsofthisstudyincludean
underestimateofsodiumconsumptionbecausesodiumintakeoftablesaltandsupplementswere
notdocumented.TheUnitedStatesconsumestoomuchsodiumthatfollowingdietaryguidelines
maybedifficultbutneedstobeachievedtopromoteoneswellbeing.Inmyprofessionmajority
ofpatientsIassistmealswithareeitheronacardiacdietorlowsodiumdietthathadhistoryof
hypertension,kidneyfailureanddiabetes.Ifindthatpatientsareunsatisfiedwithmealsand
requestotherfoodsandsnackslikechipsorbaconwithmeals.Afterreadingthisarticleitwas
morecleartomewhypatientsareunhappyoncardiacandlowsodiumdietswhenmost
individualsconsumetoomuchsodiumdaily.

DrewnowskiA,MaillotM,RehmC.ReducingthesodiumpotassiumratiointheUSdiet:
achallengeforpublichealth.TheAmericanJournalofClinicalNutrition.2012;96(2):439444.
doi:10.3945/ajcn.111.025353.