Determination of discretionary salt intake in rural Guatemala and Benin to determine the iodine fortification of salt required to control iodine deficiency disorders : studies using lithium-labeled salt

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 68; no. 3; pp. 636 - 641
• Main Authors: MELSE-BOONSTRA, A, ROZENDAAL, M, REXWINKEL, H, GERICHHAUSEN, M. J. W, VAN DEN BRIEL, T, BULUX, J, SOLOMONS, N. W, WEST, C. E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD American Society for Clinical Nutrition 01.09.1998; American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Afdeling Humane voeding; Benin; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Female; Food, Fortified; Guatemala; Human Nutrition; Human Nutrition & Health; Human Nutrition (HNE); Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humane Voeding; Humane Voeding & Gezondheid; Humans; Iodine - administration & dosage; Iodine - deficiency; Lithium Carbonate - urine; Male; Medical disorders; Medical sciences; Nutrition; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; Rural Population; Salt; Sodium - urine; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - administration & dosage; Sodium Chloride, Dietary - therapeutic use; Tropical medicine; VLAG; Guatemala; Central America; Benin; Africa; America; Human; Rural environment; Nutrition disorder; Environmental factor; Lithium; Male; Marker; Inorganic element; Fortified product; Feeding; Prevention; Salt; School age; Mother; Food intake; Child; Nutritional deficiency; Iodine
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/68.3.636

The use of discretionary salt, which is salt added during cooking and at the table, as a suitable vehicle for iodine intake was assessed by measuring salt consumption using the lithium-marker technique in rural areas of Guatemala and Benin. In both countries, we studied boys aged 6-12 y and their mothers. Subjects used lithium-labeled salt after all unlabeled salt was removed from their households. In Guatemala, 24-h urine samples for 9 mother-son pairs were collected at baseline and on days 7, 8, and 9 during the use of lithium-labeled salt. Total maternal salt intake averaged 5.2 +/- 1.7 g/d (mean +/- SD), of which 77 +/- 24% came from discretionary sources, whereas Guatemalan boys consumed 1.8 +/- 0.6 g salt/d, of which 72 +/- 12% came from discretionary sources. In Benin, urine collection from 13 mother-son pairs took place at baseline and on days 5 and 7. Beninese mothers had a total salt intake of 9.0 +/- 2.9 g/d and their sons had an intake of 5.7 +/- 2.8 g/d; discretionary salt contributed 52 +/- 14% and 50 +/- 13%, respectively, of total salt consumed. Therefore, fortification of household salt appears to be an appropriate method of controlling iodine deficiency in both countries, although fortification of other salt sources could be considered in Benin.