Sources of Sodium among the US Population, 2005–06
Objective
The purpose of this research was to identify the contributions of various foods to
intake of sodium in the US population age 2 years and older.
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Methods
We used the 2005-06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to
determine the contribution of specific foods to intake of sodium. The dietary
intake data collected in the survey were catalogued according to 4,069 discrete food
codes.For this analysis, food codes representing similar foods—such as
the various types of pasta dishes—were combined to provide an indication of the
contribution of distinct food items to intake of the nutrients being studied.
That is, the 4,069 codes were sorted into 96 mutually exclusive food categories, termed
specific foods.
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The list of specific foods is included in Figure 1.
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Tables
There are separate tables for the percentage contribution and mean
contribution (mg) of various foods, stratified by age group, gender, race/ethnicity, and
family income.
Tables 1a-4a. Mean Intakes of Sodium and Percentage Contribution of Various
Foods
Tables 1b-4b. Mean Intakes of Sodium and Mean Contribution (mg) of Various
Foods
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Notes
- Rankings depend in part on how ubiquitously the specific food is
consumed. Foods that are the richest sources of sodium are not necessarily
the major contributors. Because some foods are commonly consumed in the population
they result in a significant contribution to the total intake.
- The mean contribution (in milligrams) represents the average per
capita. For example, all persons age 2 and older consume an average of 217
mg of sodium from pizza per day. If the analysis was restricted to only those
people who reported eating pizza on a given day, average sodium intake from pizza would
be higher.
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Findings
The major sources of sodium in the US population are yeast breads; chicken and chicken
mixed dishes; pizza; pasta and pasta dishes; cold cuts; condiments; Mexican mixed dishes;
sausage, franks, bacon, and ribs; regular cheese; grain-based desserts; soups; and beef
and beef mixed dishes. These 12 food groups each supply over 100 mg sodium per
person per day to the diet. Collectively, this relatively small group of foods
contributes about 56% of the dietary sodium, or nearly 2000 mg per person per day.
The major sources of sodium vary by age, gender, and race/ethnicity, as follows:
- The top five contributors of sodium for all persons are yeast
breads(250 mg per day), chicken and chicken mixed dishes (233 mg per day),
pizza (217 mg per day), pasta and pasta dishes (174 mg per day), and cold
cuts (155 mg per day).
- Rankings varied somewhat by age. For example, the top source
among 2-18 year olds is pizza (295 mg per day) and among persons 19 and older it is
yeast breads (258 mg per day). Other foods in the top five for several
narrower age groups include: sausages, franks, bacon, and ribs for 2-3
year olds, 4-8 year olds, 9-13 year olds, and 51-70 year olds; Mexican mixed dishes
for 19-30 year olds; grain-based desserts for persons 71 and older; and soups for
51-70 year olds and persons 71 and older.
- Rankings varied somewhat among males. For example, a major
contributor among 14-18 year olds is burgers (219 mg per day). Condiments is a
top source among both 14-18 year olds (224 mg per day) and 51-70 year olds (183
mg per day).
- Rankings varied somewhat among females. For example, salad
dressing is a major contributor among 51-70 year olds (105 mg per day) and
ready-to-eat cereals is a top source among 2-3 year olds (97 mg per day).
- Rankings varied somewhat by race/ethnicity. The top
source is yeast breads for non-Hispanic Whites (271 mg per day),
chicken and chicken mixed dished for non-Hispanic Blacks (311 mg per day),
and Mexican mixed dishes (348 mg per day)
for Mexican-Americans.
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Suggested Citation
Suggested citation for information contained on this page:
Sources of Sodium Among the US Population, 2005-06. Risk Factor Monitoring
and Methods Branch Website. Applied Research Program. National Cancer
Institute. http://riskfactor.cancer.gov/diet/foodsources/sodium/.
Updated Month Day, Year.
Accessed Month Day, Year.
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