RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Excessive salt intake raises blood pressure and increases the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCD), such as CVD, chronic kidney disease and stomach cancer. Reducing the Na content of food is an important public health measure to control the NCD. This study quantifies the amount of salt reduced by using umami substances, i.e. glutamate, inosinate and guanylate, for adults in the USA. DESIGN: The secondary data analysis was performed using data of the US nationally representative cross-sectional dietary survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018. Per capita daily salt intake corresponding to the NHANES food groups was calculated in the four hypothetical scenarios of 0 %, 30 %, 60 % and 90 % market share of low-Na foods in the country. The salt reduction rates by using umami substances were estimated based on the previous study results. SETTING: The USA. PARTICIPANTS: 4139 individuals aged 20 years and older in the USA. RESULTS: Replacing salt with umami substances could help the US adults reduce salt intake by 7·31-13·53 % (7·50-13·61 % for women and 7·18-13·53 % for men), which is equivalent to 0·61-1·13 g/d (0·54-0·98 g/d for women and 0·69-1·30 g/d for men) without compromising the taste. Approximately, 21·21-26·04 % of the US adults could keep their salt intake below 5 g/d, the WHO's recommendation in the scenario where there is no low-Na product on the market. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides essential information that the use of umami substances as a substitute for salt may help reduce the US adults' salt intake.
RESUMO
Reducing sodium content in foods is an important public health measure to reduce salt intake and decrease the incidence of noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. This study quantified the amount of salt intake that could potentially be reduced by using umami substances, including glutamate, inosinate, and guanylate, without compromising taste, for adults in the United Kingdom (UK). We used data comprised of 1834 adults aged 20 years and over from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS RP) 2016/2017-2018/2019. Four hypothetical scenarios in which the market share of low-sodium foods accounts for 0%, 30%, 60%, or 90% of consumed products were considered in the analyses. Per capita daily salt intake corresponding to the NDNS RP food groups was calculated for each scenario, and the salt intake was aggregated by gender and age groups. Replacing salt with umami substances could help UK adults reduce daily salt intake by 9.09%-18.59% (9.21%-18.43% for women; 8.83%-19.43% for men), which is equivalent to 0.45-0.92 g/day of salt reduction (0.41-0.82 g/day for women; 0.50-1.10 g/day for men). The use of umami substances may serve as one method for the UK government to encourage salt intake reduction, particularly in the context of food product reformulation, as 80% of salt consumed in the country comes from processed foods. Empirical studies with sensory evaluation should be conducted to confirm consumer tolerance. The food industry should also be engaged in conversations regarding the addition of umami to food products in the United Kingdom.