Relative contributions of dietary sodium sources.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional observational study quantifying dietary intake sources without comparison groups.
PubMed 1910064 · doi:10.1080/07315724.1991.10718167
What was done
Researchers quantified the relative contributions of dietary sodium sources (inherent food-borne, processing-added, table, cooking, and water) in 62 adults who regularly used discretionary salt. Intake was estimated using 7-day dietary records, potable water collections, and pre-weighed salt shakers.
What was found
Sodium added during food processing accounted for 77% of total intake, while 11.6% came from sodium inherent to food. Discretionary additions contributed 6.2% from table salt and 5.1% from cooking salt, and drinking water was a trivial source.
Why it matters
Because the vast majority of dietary sodium comes from processed foods rather than discretionary additions, public health interventions targeting table and cooking salt alone cannot achieve meaningful reductions in population-level sodium intake.
Limits
The sample size was small (62 participants) and selected specifically for regular discretionary salt use, likely overestimating table and cooking salt proportions relative to the general population. Intake assessment relied on 7-day food records and self-managed salt shakers, which are susceptible to reporting and measurement inaccuracies.
Cited by
- supports Only 11% of the sodium consumed by the average American comes from salt added directly at the table or during home cooking.