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The science upon which to base dietary sodium policy
1Departments of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY michael.alderman@einstein.yu.edu.
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)
|November 16, 2014
Summary
Reducing sodium intake to 2500 mg/d may not improve health outcomes, despite blood pressure reductions. More evidence is needed to justify extreme sodium restriction for cardiovascular benefits.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Cardiovascular Health
- Dietary Recommendations
Background:
- Sodium intake recommendations are debated due to limited clinical trials on health outcomes.
- Blood pressure has been used as a surrogate marker for health effects of sodium reduction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity of using blood pressure as a surrogate for health outcomes related to sodium intake.
- To determine if evidence supports health benefits from reducing sodium intake to below 2500 mg/d.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of studies using blood pressure as a surrogate marker for sodium intake effects.
- Review of observational cohort studies examining actual health conditions as outcomes of sodium intake.
Main Results:
- Controlled studies show a modest reduction in systolic blood pressure (1-6 mm Hg) with maximum sodium reduction.
- Observational studies did not find a relationship between sodium intake <2500 mg/d and observed health conditions.
Conclusions:
- The blood pressure effect of sodium restriction is not a reliable surrogate for actual health outcomes.
- Further evidence is required to justify dietary efforts aimed at reducing sodium intake to <2500 mg/d for health improvement.
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