Sodium intake including salt as its source in selected Warsaw population

The aim of study was to evaluate sodium intake by 21 women and 21 men, aged 20-31, living in Warsaw, including sodium from table salt. The study was conducted from November 2004 to March 2005. The mean sodium intake exceeded many times the recommendations. Men added more salt to meals then women, and they also ate salty products more often. The main source of sodium was salt added during preparation of meals (women) or processed food (men). The amount of sodium from products salted due to technological reasons and present naturally in foods is high enough to meet requirements for this nutrient.     

Dietary sodium intake in young Korean adults and its relationship with eating frequency and taste preference

Dietary sodium intake is considered one of the major causal factors for hypertension. Thus, to control the increase of blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension-related clinical complications, a reduction in sodium intake is recommended. The present study aimed at determining the association of dietary sodium intake with meal and snack frequency, snacking time, and taste preference in Korean young adults aged 20-26 years, using a 125-item dish-frequency questionnaire. The mean dietary sodium intakes of men and women were 270.6 mmol/day and 213.1 mmol/day, which were approximately 310% and 245% of the daily sodium intake goal for Korean men and women, respectively. Dietary sodium intake was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure in the total group, and BMI in the total and men-only groups. In the total and men-only groups, those who consumed meals more times per day consumed more dietary sodium, but the number of times they consumed snacks was negatively correlated with dietary sodium intake in the total, men-only, and women-only groups. In addition, those who consumed snacks in the evening consumed more sodium than those who did so in the morning in the men-only group. The sodium intake was also positively associated with preference for salty and sweet taste in the total and women-only groups. Such a high intake of sodium in these young subjects shows that a reduction in sodium intake is important for the prevention of hypertension and related diseases in the future.     

Comparison of high-fat and high-carbohydrate foods in a meal or snack on short-term fat and energy intakes in obese women

The present study aimed to compare the action of high-fat and high-carbohydrate (CHO) foods on meal size (satiation) and post-meal satiety in obese women. A within-subjects design was used; each participant received all four nutritional challenges. Fifteen healthy obese women (age 21-56 years, BMI 35-48 kg/m2) participated; thirteen completed all four test days. On two test days, participants were exposed to a nutritional challenge comprising an ad libitum high-fat or high-CHO lunch. On the other two test days they were exposed to a challenge comprising an ad libitum sweet high-fat or high-CHO mid-afternoon snack. Energy and macronutrient intakes were measured at each eating episode. Visual analogue rating scales were completed periodically to record subjective feelings of appetite. When offered a high-CHO selection of foods at lunch and mid-afternoon participants consumed less energy than when offered a high-fat selection. However, post-meal satiety was similar. Total test-day energy intake was significantly higher when high-fat foods were consumed at lunch, but not as a snack. Consumption of high-fat foods at a lunch and snack increased the amount of fat consumed over the whole test day. In conclusion, energy intake of an eating episode was influenced by nutrient composition in this group of obese women. Consumption of high-fat foods at lunch or as a snack led to overconsumption relative to high-CHO foods. However, high-fat foods at meals may have greater potential to influence daily intake than at snacks, probably because meals are larger eating episodes and therefore give greater opportunity to overconsume.     

Preschoolers' mid-afternoon snack intake is not affected by lunchtime food consumption

The purpose of this study was two-fold: to determine the contribution of mid-afternoon snack intake to total daily energy intake and to examine the effect of lunchtime eating on subsequent snack intake in preschool children. Lunch energy intake was manipulated by varying the energy content of the milk beverage served at lunch. Mid-afternoon snack consumption in 135 children, aged 18-66 months, offered chocolate-flavored or plain milk at lunch. Nutritious mid-morning snacks, lunches and mid-afternoon snacks were served on a rotating schedule 2 days per week for 12 weeks. The children were allowed to consume as much as they wanted of any food items served at lunch or snacktime, including the beverages. Although the children consumed significantly more energy during lunchtime meals at which sucrose-sweetened chocolate milk was served, their intake of the mid-afternoon snack was not affected by the type of milk beverage served or the energy consumed at lunch. All children consumed between 20 and 25% of their daily energy requirement at lunch and between 8 and 22% of their daily energy requirement during the mid-afternoon snack. Snacks are an important source of energy for young children, especially those under three years of age.     

Children's frequency of consumption of foods high in fat and sodium

We administered a food frequency instrument to third-fifth grade students (n = 943) in four Texas schools. Comparison of foods reported on the food frequency questionnaire and on 24-hour dietary recalls (n = 7) produced a percent agreement of 83.3. The most frequent 25 foods accounted for 64.0% of food choices across all meals, 93.5% of breakfast choices, 76.4% of lunch choices, 70.5% of supper choices, and 76.0% of snack choices. Breads, milk, hamburger or steak, soda pop, tomato sauce or tomatoes, and cheese were the most frequently consumed foods. Fruits and juices accounted for 6.1% of total selections for boys and 6.6% for girls, while vegetables accounted for 15.7% of total selections for boys and 16.2% for girls. Fruit was more likely to be consumed for snacks than for meals, and vegetables were consumed in about the same frequency at lunch and supper and for snacks. We analyzed the total fat, saturated fat, and sodium content of the most frequently consumed foods. Seventeen of the top 25 foods for the total day and 13-16 for each meal or snack exceeded by at least 50% the recommended levels for fat, saturated fat, or sodium. The pattern of consumption was one of frequent consumption of a relatively small number of foods, many of which are high in fat or sodium.     

Dietary sodium reduction among students: feasibility and acceptance

Modifications in the preparation of food served in a boarding high school during a 5-week period were successful in decreasing the sodium content of a variety of food products by an average of 51%. Such food was, in general, well accepted. The ratings of specific reduced-sodium food products equaled those of similar products containing "usual" amounts of sodium. Food diaries kept by students gave estimates of total sodium intake comparable with those measured by laboratory analysis of 24-hour food collections. Food diaries collected from an average of 70 volunteers per week indicated that during the reduced-sodium period, the total sodium intake of students, including that from dining hall food, snack food, and food consumed outside the school, decreased from 136 mEq (3 gm sodium, 8 gm salt) to 88 mEq (2 gm sodium, 5 gm salt), a reduction of 35% (p less than .0001). The impact of salt added at the table was very small; the choice and the quantity of foods consumed were the main determinants of sodium intake. The results indicate that foods can be prepared with appreciably less sodium and still be highly acceptable to young people.     

山西医科大学2011年学生膳食营养状况

目的 了解山西医科大学学生膳食营养状况及其存在的问题,为开展大学生营养宣传教育提供科学依据.方法 整群抽取山西医科大学学生429名,采用24h膳食回顾法连续记录3d膳食,计算每人每日食物摄入情况,与中国居民膳食宝塔的食物摄入推荐量进行比较;计算能量及各种营养素的摄入量,与中国居民膳食营养素参考摄入量进行比较.结果 在学生所有食物摄入中,谷类摄入量偏高,鱼虾类、禽畜肉类、奶类及奶制品、蔬菜水果摄入量偏低;维生素A、维生素B1、维生素B2及维生素C摄入不足;钙摄入不足;铁摄入充足,但多来自于植物性食物.学生早餐摄入的能量较低,女生零食摄入较多.结论 山西医科大学学生的膳食营养状况不理想.应指导大学生进行合理膳食.     

Self-regulation of food intake among rural Mexican preschool children

Access to food and the amount consumed were investigated within a group of 45 children aged 33 to 60 months, among whom growth stunting was common. Children were observed throughout 1 day; all foods offered and consumed were weighed, and food-related behaviors noted. Children ate frequently, at least 2 meals and an average of 7.4 +/- 2.6 snacks daily. Children had access to 2029 +/- 575 kcal (8493 +/- 2407 kJ) yet only consumed 1528 +/- 343 kcal (6396 +/- 1436 kJ) daily; thus food availability was not restricting intake. A higher proportion of snacks than meals (85 per cent vs. 71 per cent) was consumed. Children requested foods frequently (x = 9.2 +/- 4.3) and 76 per cent of requests were fulfilled. Neither amount of accessible food nor amount consumed differed by age, gender, or socioeconomic status. The importance of the child's role in determining food intake, and of snacking to overall food consumption, was demonstrated.     

Limited compensation by table salt for reduced salt within a meal

Sixteen subjects, all of whom had said in a preliminary questionnaire that they normally added table salt to foods, were fed standard meals in the laboratory over 10 days. The meals were identical, except that on 5 days the meal had no added salt (containing 0.46 g sodium chloride) or had salt added to a level of 5.09 g. They were allowed free access to salt pots with the meals and used an average of 1.40 g table salt with the unsalted meal and 0.36 g with the salted meal, thus compensating for 22% of the difference in salt content of the meal. There was no difference in water consumption between the two types of meal. Nutrient intake from the rest of the diet did not differ between periods with high and low salt meals. The failure to compensate more fully for reduced salt in the foods can be attributed to the greater availability of table salt for perception; less table salt than salt incorporated in the foods is therefore required. Reduction of salt concentrations in purchased foods would be unlikely to be fully replaced by the consumer adding table salt.     

Incorporation of air into a snack food reduces energy intake

This study investigated how the air content of a familiar snack food affected energy intake and whether varying the method of serving the snack modified intake. We tested two versions of an extruded snack (cheese puffs) that were equal in energy density (5.7 kcal/g), but differed in energy per volume (less-aerated snack: 1.00 kcal/ml; more-aerated snack: 0.45 kcal/ml). In a within-subjects design, 16 women and 12 men consumed the snacks ad libitum in the laboratory during four afternoon sessions. A standard volume (1250 ml) of each snack was served once in a bowl and once in an opaque bag. Results showed significant differences in intake of the two snacks by energy (p=0.0003) and volume (p<0.0001); subjects consumed 21% less weight and energy (70+/-17 kcal) of the more-aerated snack than the less-aerated snack, although they consumed a 73% greater volume of the more-aerated snack (239+/-24 ml). These findings suggest that subjects responded to both the weight and volume of the snack. Despite differences in intake, hunger and fullness ratings did not differ across conditions. The serving method did not significantly affect intake. Results from this study indicate that incorporating air into food provides a strategy to reduce energy intake from energy-dense snacks.     

Isocaloric meal and snack foods differentially affect eating behavior

The present study tested whether foods categorized as meals reduce subsequent intake more than isocaloric foods categorized as snacks. The study was repeated three times with variations. In each variation we manipulated whether subjects received meal or snack foods in an isocaloric load. In Variation 1, subjects consumed less following a load of meal foods than snacks. Variation 2 found this effect to be short-term, affecting food choice 20 min following a load but not 3 h later. Variation 3 demonstrated: (1) this effect occurs independent of the effects of the weights of foods, and (2) this effect varies specifically with subject perceptions of foods (i.e. whether they are part of a meal or snack). These results are discussed in terms of how cognitive representations of preload foods can influence subsequent consumption.     

Dietary patterns of obese high school girls: snack consumption and energy intake

In order to develop an obesity management program for teenagers, we compared obese and non-obese girls attending high schools in terms of their dietary practices related to snack consumption. Dietary records were collected for 7 days. No significant differences were found for the average daily energy intake between obese and non-obese girls. However, the highest energy intake was greater for obese girls while not much difference was found for the lowest amount of energy intake. Obese girls had significantly lower intakes in calcium (P < 0.01), vitamin A (P < 0.001) and folate (P < 0.01). Mean energy intake from snack (594.1 ± 312.1kcal) was significantly higher for obese girls than for non-obese girls (360.1 ± 173.1kcal) (P < 0.001). A significant, positive correlation was observed between energy intake from snack and total daily energy intake (r = 0.34 P < 0.01) only for obese girls. In case of dietary behaviors, obese adolescent girls consumed significantly greater number of items for snacks and fewer foods for regular meals compared to non-obese girls (P < 0.05). This study suggested that obesity management programs for adolescents should focus on providing strategies to reduce snack through enhancing balanced regular meals.     

Vital Signs: Sodium Intake Among U.S. School-Aged Children — 2009–2010

Background

A national health objective is to reduce average U.S. sodium intake to 2,300 mg daily to help prevent high blood pressure, a major cause of heart disease and stroke. Identifying common contributors to sodium intake among children can help reduction efforts.

Methods

Average sodium intake, sodium consumed per calorie, and proportions of sodium from food categories, place obtained, and eating occasion were estimated among 2,266 school-aged (6–18 years) participants in What We Eat in America, the dietary intake component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009–2010.

Results

U.S. school-aged children consumed an estimated 3,279 mg of sodium daily with the highest total intake (3,672 mg/d) and intake per 1,000 kcal (1,681 mg) among high school–aged children. Forty-three percent of sodium came from 10 food categories: pizza, bread and rolls, cold cuts/cured meats, savory snacks, sandwiches, cheese, chicken patties/nuggets/tenders, pasta mixed dishes, Mexican mixed dishes, and soups. Sixty-five percent of sodium intake came from store foods, 13% from fast food/pizza restaurants, 5% from other restaurants, and 9% from school cafeteria foods. Among children aged 14–18 years, 16% of total sodium intake came from fast food/pizza restaurants versus 11% among those aged 6–10 years or 11–13 years (p<0.05). Among children who consumed a school meal on the day assessed, 26% of sodium intake came from school cafeteria foods. Thirty-nine percent of sodium was consumed at dinner, followed by lunch (29%), snacks (16%), and breakfast (15%).

Implications for Public Health Practice

Sodium intake among school-aged children is much higher than recommended. Multiple food categories, venues, meals, and snacks contribute to sodium intake among school-aged children supporting the importance of populationwide strategies to reduce sodium intake. New national nutrition standards are projected to reduce the sodium content of school meals by approximately 25%–50% by 2022. Based on this analysis, if there is no replacement from other sources, sodium intake among U.S. school-aged children will be reduced by an average of about 75–150 mg per day and about 220–440 mg on days children consume school meals.     

The effect of salt usage behavior on sodium intake and excretion among Korean women

This study was done to explore the effect of Korean women''s salt usage behavior on their sodium intake and excretion according to aging. Dietary sodium intake and salt usage behavior were analyzed to compare the difference between young and middle-aged women. One hundred fifty six young women and 77 middle-aged women without hypertension or any current medication were recruited. Body mass index, waist hip ratio, blood pressure were measured from each subject. Salt usage behaviors were surveyed with questionnaire, sodium intake with 24-hr recall method, and sodium excretion with spot urine. Middle-aged women were more obese than young women according to body mass index and waist hip ratio. Blood pressure was significantly higher for the middle-aged. Young women consumed more fats and middle-aged women more carbohydrates. Middle-aged women consumed more sodium and potassium, and excreted more sodium. Among questionnaire items, kimchi, soup or pot stew, or salted vegetables were found to be related with high sodium diet. Salted vegetables and salted nuts and potato chips were significantly correlated with young women''s high sodium diet, while soy sauce on fried food, kimchi, salted vegetables accounted for middle-aged women''s high sodium diet. With these results, we concluded that middle-aged women consumed more carbohydrates, less fat, and more sodium and potassium than young women. Middle-aged women frequently choose kimchi, soup or pot stew, or salted vegetables, and they contribute to high sodium intake. We recommend to choose low-salt kimchi, less soup or pot stew, and more fresh vegetables for lower sodium diet.     

Secular trends in patterns of self-reported food consumption of adult Americans: NHANES 1971-1975 to NHANES 1999-2002

BACKGROUND: The contributors to trends in increasing prevalence of obesity in the US population are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: We examined secular trends in food consumption behaviors to understand their possible contribution to increasing energy intakes and adiposity in the American population. DESIGN: We used dietary data from 4 consecutive National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) to examine trends (1971-2002) in frequency of eating episodes, meal and snack consumption, quantity of food consumed, and the energy density of foods reported by adult Americans (n = 39 094). Logistic and linear regression methods were used to adjust for multiple covariates and survey design. RESULTS: The reported number of all eating episodes increased slightly in women from 4.90 in 1971-1975 to 5.04 in 1999-2002 (P for trend = 0.002). The amount (in g) of foods and beverages consumed, the energy density of foods, and energy intake per eating episode increased, but the mention of breakfast declined in both sexes (P for trend < 0.0001). The observed trends in mention of a snack (in men) and percentage of energy from evening food intake (in women) were downward. The amount (in g) of foods and their energy density were independent positive correlates of obesity in combined data from all surveys (P for trend < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support large increases in eating frequency, snacking, or evening eating by the American population from 1971 to 2002. The quantity of foods and their energy density increased beginning in NHANES III (1988-1994) with trajectories roughly parallel to the rates of prevalence of obesity in the US population. However, we urge cautious interpretation of these results because of concurrent changes in dietary methods during this period.     

Influence of stress on snack consumption in middle school girls

Stress has been known to change dietary behaviors and food intakes in individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of stress level on the frequency and the amount of snack consumption. The high stress group (HS) showed significantly higher frequency of consumption for bread, chips, cookies, ramyeon, and frozen snacks (p<0.05) compared to low stress group (LS) with higher frequency of snack consumption (p<0.01), and increased intakes of energy, carbohydrates, and sodium from snacks (p<0.01) than LS. As the stress level became higher, the proportions of students with irregular meals, overeating, and night snacking increased (p<0.01). Also, 33.0% of the subjects answered that they consumed an increased amount of snacks when they were feeling stressed. Our results indicated that stress has negative influence on snack consumption in middle school girls.     

Shape of snack foods does not predict snack intake in a sample of preschoolers: a cross-over study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In the past decade, the proportion snacking has increased. Snack foods consumed are predominantly not nutritious foods. One potential venue to increase children's diet quality is to offer healthy snack foods and we explored if shaped snack foods would lead to increased consumption. METHODS: We investigated the consumption of high-fiber snacks (banana bread, pancakes, and sandwiches) served either in normal (round, square) or shaped (heart, hands, animals) form to preschoolers 2-5 years old attending a local child care center (n=21). The 9 weeks long, prospective, cross-over intervention study was designed to expose each child repeatedly to each snack in each shape (4 times per snack). Snacks were served as morning or afternoon snack and caretakers' reports were used to account for the child's consumption of a meal preceding the study snack (breakfast or lunch). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in snack consumption between the shaped and normal snacks. However, the mean energy intake from snacks was significantly greater for Caucasian children compared with Asian children. Further, Asian children consumed much less banana bread than the other two snacks. Overall, children who had not eaten breakfast or lunch prior to the morning or afternoon snack ate significantly more calories from the snacks (84.1 kcal, p-value<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Findings of this study confirm previous research that the shape of the foods does not affect snack consumption in children. However, we also report two unexpected findings: a) the strong interaction between ethnicity and snack consumption and b) that Asian children consumed much less banana bread than Caucasian children. The role of children's ethnic background profoundly affects snack preference and must be considered in the study of children's eating behaviors and in interventions to promote healthy eating habits.     

Nutrient intakes and snacking frequency in female students

Background: Snacking can have the negative image of being detrimental to the diet, because snack foods are commonly thought of as providing only 'empty calories'—high in energy but low in micronutrients. This observational study looked at the nutrient density of snacks and meals, and at the effect of eating frequency on mean daily nutrient intakes in 44 female students (aged 17–26 years). Methods: Baseline dietary data from an existing intervention study were re-analysed. Eating occasions, taken from 7-day weighed food diaries, were classified as meals or snacks by time of day, and the composition of meals and snacks compared. Subjects were divided into tertiles by eating frequency and their nutrient intakes compared. Results: As eating frequency increased, the number of snacks and the number of different snack items in the diet increased, while the number of meals remained constant. Snacks, overall, were significantly lower in percentage non-alcohol energy from fat and higher in percentage non-alcohol energy from carbohydrate. Snacks had lower nutrient densities than meals for non-starch polysaccharide (NSP), minerals and vitamins except vitamin C. However, there were no significant differences between the top and bottom tertiles of snacking frequency for overall percentage energy from fat, protein or carbohydrate, or intakes of micro-nutrients. The top tertile tended to be leaner and have higher energy intakes than infrequent eaters (not significant). There was a significant negative correlation between eating frequency and body mass index (BMI). Conclusions: It is concluded that snacking per se did not compromise diet quality in this group, and that those with a high snacking frequency were eating more in general and choosing a wider variety of foods, resulting in a balanced intake of nutrients.     

Associations between snacking and weight loss and nutrient intake among postmenopausal overweight to obese women in a dietary weight-loss intervention

Snacking may play a role in weight control. The associations of timing and frequency of snacking with observed weight change and nutrient intake were assessed in an ancillary study to a 12-month randomized controlled trial in Seattle, WA. Overweight-to-obese postmenopausal women (n=123) enrolled in the two dietary weight-loss arms from 2007 to 2008 with complete data at 12 months were included in these analyses. Generalized linear models were used to test the associations between snacking and weight loss (percent) and nutrient intake at the 12-month time point. Participants were, on average, 58 years old and mainly non-Hispanic white (84%). Ninety-seven percent reported one or more snacks per day. Weight loss (percent) was significantly lower among mid-morning (10:30 am to 11:29 am) snackers (7.0%, 95% confidence interval: 4.3 to 9.7) compared to non–mid-morning snackers (11.4%, 95% confidence interval: 10.2 to 12.6; P=0.005). A higher proportion of mid-morning snackers reported more than one snack per day (95.7%), compared to afternoon (82.8%) and evening (80.6%) snackers, although differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Women who reported two or more snacks per day vs one or no snacks per day had higher fiber intake (P=0.027). Afternoon snackers had higher fruit and vegetable intake compared to non–afternoon-snackers (P=0.035). These results suggest that snack meals can be a source for additional fruits, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods; however, snacking patterns might also reflect unhealthy eating habits and impede weight-loss progress. Future dietary weight-loss interventions should evaluate the effects of timing, frequency, and quality of snacks on weight loss.