title: Adherence to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations in a Nordic population with metabolic syndrome: high salt consumption and low dietary fibre intake (The SYSDIET study).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Nordic countries collaborate in setting recommendations for intake of nutrients by publishing the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR). Studies exploring how well the Nordic population adheres to the NNR are limited and none are available for the metabolic syndrome (MetS) subgroup. Individuals with MetS are a large part of the adult Nordic population and their diet's nutritional quality is of great importance as it can affect the progression of MetS.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate nutritional intake in a cohort of Nordic adults with MetS or MetS risk factors and their adherence to the NNR.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multi-centre study was carried out in six centres in four Nordic countries (SYSDIET CoE). Participants (n=175) were 30-65 years of age, with BMI 27-38 kg/m(2) and had at least two criteria for MetS. The NNR was used to evaluate the baseline nutrient intake calculated from the participants' 4-day food diaries using national nutrient databases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Less than 20% of participants consumed ≤10 E% from saturated fat as recommended in the NNR. Recommended intake (RI) of polyunsaturated fat was met by approximately one-third of participants. Only 20% of men and 26% of women met the RI of dietary fibre. Intake below the defined lower intake level of 2.5 µg/day for vitamin D was observed in nearly 20% of participants. The daily median intake of salt was 8.8 g for men and 6.7 g for women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary quality of this Nordic population with Mets or MetS risk factors is unsatisfactory and characterised by high intakes of SFA and sodium and low intakes of PUFA and dietary fibre. Vitamin D intake was below RI level in a large part of the population. Authorities in the Nordic countries are encouraged to develop intervention programmes for high-risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland and Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Svandis Erna
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Jonsdottir
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Endocrinology MEA, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brader
authors.affiliation: Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland and Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ingibjorg
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gunnarsdottir
authors.affiliation: Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland and Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kally Magnusdottir
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland ; Research Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland ; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Internal Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Marjukka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolehmainen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Risérus
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Biocenter of Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland ; Department of Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Herzig
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Nutrition, Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lieselotte
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cloetens
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Nutrition, Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden ; Department of Clinical Nutrition, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helgegren
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Nutrition, Pure and Applied Biochemistry, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johansson-Persson
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, and Biocenter Oulu, Oulu, Finland ; Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
authors.forename: Janne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hukkanen
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland ; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Kaisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Poutanen
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland ; Research Unit, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uusitupa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Endocrinology MEA, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Kjeld
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hermansen
authors.affiliation: Unit for Nutrition Research, Landspitali - The National University Hospital of Iceland and Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Inga
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thorsdottir
keywords: diet records; dietary; dietary fibre; guideline adherence; metabolic syndrome; multicenter study; sodium