Cp. Sanchezcastillo et Wpt. James, ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF THE QUANTITATIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF DIFFERENT SOURCES OF SALT IN THE DIET, Archivos latinoamericanos de nutricion, 44(3), 1994, pp. 145-150
A metabolic study was conducted to assess the validity of using lithiu
m tagged salt as a technique for monitoring the sources of salt in the
diet. Discretionary sources, table and cooking salt, were separately
labelled and studied, the table salt being available ad libitum wherea
s cooking salt intakes were controlled. The study showed that lithium
excretion in the urine did provide an accurate measure of the amount o
f the labelled salt ingested. Subsequent analysis suggest that Li is n
ot excreted readily in sweat or faeces so it can be used on its own to
ensure the completness of a series of 24h urines. Latin American stud
ies on salt sources in the diet are needed as a base for programmes of
primary prevention of hypertension.