November 5, 2009 – Whether sliced, baguette, English muffin or bagel, bread is the number one source of sodium in the diet of Canadians.
It is not so much the salt content of the various breads that is high (a slice contains on average 150 mg to 200 mg of sodium), but the large amount of bread that we consume that makes it the first source. sodium in the country.
This is what a study from the Canadian Community Health Survey finds1 who listed 40 food groups according to their consumption and sodium content, according to 4 age groups.
Globally, the majority of sodium consumed in the country comes from:
- prepared foods: 77%;
- foods in their natural state: 11.6%;
- salt added at the table: 6%;
- salt added during cooking: 5.1%.
Thus, taking into account the most consumed foods, the country’s daily sodium intake comes mainly from breads (13.9%), processed meats (8.9%) and tomato or vegetable juice (7, 5%). Frozen meals contain a lot of sodium, but they are consumed little.
In Quebec, bread products represent 27% of grain products consumed by Quebecers. Of this proportion, 2/3 are white bread, and 19% are croissants, bagels and pancakes.
Daily sodium source (%) according to the food group consumed |
|
Breads |
13.9% |
Processed meats |
8.9% |
Tomato or vegetable juice |
7.5% |
Soups (prepared or canned) |
7.4% |
Pasta |
5.7% |
Cheese |
5.4% |
Although bread is the most widely consumed food in the country (77%), certain food products, consumed in smaller quantities, are nevertheless significantly higher sources of sodium. This is the case with prepared soups (canned or dried), side sauces and frozen meals and pizzas, for example. These food items are more popular than bread among the 19 and over age group.
Too much salt, at all ages
According to data collected by age group, the average daily sodium intake in the country is:
- 2.3 g in 1 year to 8 year olds;
- 3.4 g in 9 to 18 year olds;
- 3.6 g in men 19 years of age and older;
- 2.6 g in women 19 years and older.
“These rates are all above the maximum tolerable intake determined by the Institute of Medicine and above the targets set by the United Kingdom, the United States and the WHO,” lament the authors of the study.
Strategy for reducing salt
The data from this study will feed into the thinking of a working group mandated by Health Canada to develop strategies to reduce sodium consumption in the country.
It is estimated that a reduction of 1.8 g of salt per day in the diet of every Canadian would reduce the number of people with hypertension in the country by 1 million and prevent 11,550 cardiovascular events.
Martin LaSalle – PasseportSanté.net
1. Fischer PWF, Vigneault M, Huang R, et al, Sodium food sources in the Canadian diet, Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism2009 Sep, 34 (5): 884-892.