Association between sodium and potassium intake levels and body compositions of Chinese college students

To investigate the relationship between sodium (Na) and potassium (K) nutritional condition and body compositions in youth aiming to give target population reasonable diet recommendations.

The cross-sectional study was conducted involving 512 healthy youth aged 18 to 31 years from universities in Beijing. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and bioelectrical impedance analyzer (BIA) were used to collect dietary intake information and body compositions.

There was an increasing tendency in fat-related indicators and muscle-related indicators of the dietary Na tertile group (p <0.05). Additionally, Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and muscle-related indicators increased with the dietary K tertile group (p <0.05). Across increasing tertiles of dietary Na intake, the odds ratio (OR) was increased significantly (p < 0.05) in fat-related indicators. On the contrary, with the increased dietary Na intake, the OR decreased (p < 0.05) in appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and body lean mass. As tertiles of dietary K intake increased, the OR in both skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) and lean mass index (LMI) decreased.

High dietary Na is a risk factor for abnormal lipid distribution in college students. High dietary K can maintain skeletal muscle mass and reduce the risk of obesity. Na in the diet has a greater impact on the body composition of young people than K. Low dietary Na and high dietary K still need to be strengthened in science popularization and practice among more college students.