1. Measuring Sodium from Discretionary Salt: Comparison of Methods
- Author
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Rachael Mira McLean, Nan Xin Wang, Claire Cameron, and Sheila Skeaff
- Subjects
sodium ,salt ,discretionary salt ,New Zealand ,24 h urine ,lithium-tagged salt ,Nutrition. Foods and food supply ,TX341-641 - Abstract
(1) Background: The best method to assess discretionary salt intake in population surveys has not been established. (2) Methods: This secondary analysis compared three different methods of measuring sodium intake from discretionary salt in a convenience sample of 109 adults in New Zealand. Participants replaced their household salt with lithium-tagged salt provided by researchers over eight days. Baseline 24 h urine was collected, and two further 24 h urine and 24 h dietary recalls were collected between days six and eight. Discretionary salt was estimated from the lithium-tagged salt, focused questions in the 24 h dietary recall, and the ‘subtraction method’ (a combination of 24 h urine and 24 h dietary recall measures). (3) Results: Around one-third of estimates from the ‘subtraction method’ were negative and therefore unrealistic. The mean difference between 24 h dietary recall and lithium-tagged salt estimates for sodium from discretionary salt mean were 457 mg sodium/day and 65 mg/day for mean and median, respectively. (4) Conclusions: It is possible to obtain a reasonable estimate of discretionary salt intake from careful questioning regarding salt used in cooking, in recipes, and at the table during a 24 h recall process to inform population salt reduction strategies.
- Published
- 2023
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