DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines - Eat For Health

3.2.2 The evidence for ‘limiting intake of foods and
drinks containing added salt’
The evidence for the Guidelines focuses on dietary sodium intake, rather than salt intake, because
most studies forming the body of evidence statements measured total sodium intake or urinary
sodium excretion (which is a marker of sodium intake from all sources including salt, other
additives containing sodium, and naturally occurring sodium).
The evidence statements and gradings (A- convincing association, B- probable association, C-
suggestive association) related to ‘limit added salt’ from the Evidence Report (literature from years
2002 – 2009) are presented in the table below. This does not include evidence from other
sources, such as the 2003 Dietary Guidelines (where evidence was classified as level I, II or III in
which individual studies were classified according to their design but overall grades for
relationships were not derived), although these sources have been used to inform the Guidelines.
Evidence Statement Grade
Decreasing consumption of sodium decreases blood pressure (BP) in
normotensive adults; a reduction of 1,800mg reduces systolic BP by about
2mmHg and diastolic BP by about 1mmHg
Decreasing consumption of sodium decrease blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive
adults; a reduction of 1800mg reduces systolic BP by about 5mmHg and diastolic
by about 3mmHg
Consuming a diet low in sodium reduces blood pressure in children up to 18
years of age
Reducing sodium intake by about 1000mg/day is associated with reduced risk of
cardiovascular events
3.2.2.1 Cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and excess weight
Blood pressure: The evidence is convincing that decreasing consumption of sodium decreases
blood pressure in normotensive adults; a reduction of 1,800mg per day reduces systolic BP by
about 2 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by about 1mmHg (Grade A, Section 13.1 in Evidence
Report [14]). The evidence is also convincing that decreasing consumption of sodium decreases
blood pressure in hypertensive adults - a reduction of 1,800mg per day reduces systolic BP by
about 5mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by about 3mmHg (Grade A, Section 13.1 in Evidence
Report [14]) [542-557]. Reducing sodium intake reduces both systolic and diastolic blood
DRAFT Australian Dietary Guidelines- December 2011 83
A
A
B
C