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(Hypertension. 2008;51:629.)
© 2008 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Articles

Salt Intake Is Related to Soft Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents

A Link to Obesity?

Feng J. He; Naomi M. Marrero; Graham A. MacGregor

From the Blood Pressure Unit, Cardiac and Vascular Sciences, St George’s, University of London, London, United Kingdom.

Correspondence to Feng J. He, Blood Pressure Unit, Cardiac and Vascular Sciences, St George’s, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, United Kingdom. E-mail fhe{at}sgul.ac.uk

Dietary salt is a major determinant of fluid intake in adults; however, little is known about this relationship in children. Sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption is related to childhood obesity, but it is unclear whether there is a link between salt and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption. We analyzed the data of a cross-sectional study, the National Diet and Nutrition Survey for young people in Great Britain. Salt intake and fluid intake were assessed in 1688 participants aged 4 to 18 years, using a 7-day dietary record. There was a significant association between salt intake and total fluid, as well as sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption (P<0.001), after adjusting for potential confounding factors. A difference of 1 g/d in salt intake was associated with a difference of 100 and 27 g/d in total fluid and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption, respectively. These results, in conjunction with other evidence, particularly that from experimental studies where only salt intake was changed, demonstrate that salt is a major determinant of fluid and sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption during childhood. If salt intake in children in the United Kingdom was reduced by half (mean decrease: 3 g/d), there would be an average reduction of 2.3 sugar-sweetened soft drinks per week per child. A reduction in salt intake could, therefore, play a role in helping to reduce childhood obesity through its effect on sugar-sweetened soft drink consumption. This would have a beneficial effect on preventing cardiovascular disease independent of and additive to the effect of salt reduction on blood pressure.

Key Words: salt intake • soft drink consumption • obesity • children and adolescents

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