title: Canadians continue to consume too much sodium and not enough potassium.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Excessive sodium (Na) intakes and insufficient potassium (K) intakes are known contributors to hypertension. In July 2010, the Health Canada-led multi-stakeholder Sodium Working Group issued recommendations to lower Na intakes of Canadians. Baseline data and ongoing monitoring are needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Na and K content based on recently analyzed food composite samples from the Canadian marketplace were matched with over 35,000 dietary recalls from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 2.2). The distributions of usual intakes for Na and K were constructed using SIDE software and estimates by age and sex for the 5th, 10th, 25th, mean, median, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Based on recent analyses of Canadian foods, the majority of Canadians exceeded the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for Na for their age and sex group, including infants, children, adolescents and adults. In sharp contrast, few had Adequate Intakes (AI) of K.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Canadians of all ages need to decrease Na intakes below the UL. At the same time, increased consumption of dairy products, fruits and vegetables must be promoted to increase K intakes to current recommendations. Both dietary interventions are required to help lower hypertension in the Canadian population. We provide the first report based on direct analysts of Canadian foods, confirming the high Na and low K intakes of the Canadian population. With its annual sampling program of foods commonly consumed in Canada, the Total Diet Study provides an important sentinel system for monitoring these dietary risk factors for hypertension.
authors.affiliation: School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste Anne de Bellevue, QC.
authors.forename: Corina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tanase
authors.forename: Kristine G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Koski
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Laffey
authors.forename: Marcia J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cockell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005504:Food Analysis; D005523:Food Supply; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D017419:Potassium, Dietary; D012982:Sodium, Dietary
chemical_list: D017419:Potassium, Dietary; D012982:Sodium, Dietary