title: Salt intake is related to soft drink consumption in children and adolescents: a link to obesity?
abstract: 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 approximately 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.
authors.affiliation: Blood Pressure Unit, Cardiac and Vascular Sciences, St George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, SW17 0RE, United Kingdom. fhe@sgul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Feng J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Naomi M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Marrero
authors.forename: Graham A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: MacGregor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002253:Carbonated Beverages / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D013549:Sweetening Agents