Karppanen H, Karppanen P, Mervaala E
Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
J Hum Hypertens. 2005 Dec;19 Suppl 3:S10-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.jhh.1001955.
The present average sodium intakes, approximately 3000-4500 mg/day in various industrialised populations, are very high, that is, 2-3-fold in comparison with the current Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) of 1500 mg. The sodium intakes markedly exceed even the level of 2500 mg, which has been recently given as the maximum level of daily intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse effects on blood pressure or otherwise. By contrast, the present average potassium, calcium, and magnesium intakes are remarkably lower than the recommended intake levels (DRI). In USA, for example, the average intake of these mineral nutrients is only 35-50% of the recommended intakes. There is convincing evidence, which indicates that this imbalance, that is, the high intake of sodium on one hand and the low intakes of potassium, calcium, and magnesium on the other hand, produce and maintain elevated blood pressure in a big proportion of the population. Decreased intakes of sodium alone, and increased intakes of potassium, calcium, and magnesium each alone decrease elevated blood pressure. A combination of all these factors, that is, decrease of sodium, and increase of potassium, calcium, and magnesium intakes, which are characteristic of the so-called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diets, has an excellent blood pressure lowering effect. For the prevention and basic treatment of elevated blood pressure, various methods to decrease the intake of sodium and to increase the intakes of potassium, calcium, and magnesium should be comprehensively applied in the communities. The so-called 'functional food/nutraceutical/food-ceutical' approach, which corrects the mineral nutrient composition of extensively used processed foods, is likely to be particularly effective in producing immediate beneficial effects. The European Union and various governments should promote the availability and use of such healthier food compositions by tax reductions and other policies, which make the healthier choices cheaper than the conventional ones. They should also introduce and promote the use of tempting nutrition and health claims on the packages of healthier food choices, which have an increased content of potassium, calcium, and/or magnesium and a lowered content of sodium. Such pricing and claim methods would help the consumers to choose healthier food alternatives, and make composition improvements tempting also for the food industry.
目前，各工业化国家人群的钠平均摄入量约为每日3000 - 4500毫克，这一数值非常高，相较于目前1500毫克的膳食参考摄入量（DRI）高出2至3倍。钠摄入量甚至明显超过了2500毫克这一水平，而2500毫克最近被设定为每日最大摄入量，该摄入量被认为不太可能对血压或其他方面产生不良影响。相比之下，目前钾、钙和镁的平均摄入量明显低于推荐摄入量（DRI）。例如，在美国，这些矿物质营养素的平均摄入量仅为推荐摄入量的35% - 50%。有确凿证据表明，这种失衡，即一方面钠摄入量高，另一方面钾、钙和镁摄入量低，在很大一部分人群中会导致并维持血压升高。单独降低钠摄入量，以及分别增加钾、钙和镁的摄入量，均可降低血压。所有这些因素相结合，即减少钠的摄入，同时增加钾、钙和镁的摄入，这是所谓的“高血压饮食预防法”饮食的特点，具有极佳的降压效果。为了预防和基本治疗高血压，应在社区中综合应用各种减少钠摄入以及增加钾、钙和镁摄入的方法。所谓的“功能性食品/营养保健品/食品药品”方法，即纠正广泛使用的加工食品中的矿物质营养成分，可能在产生即时有益效果方面特别有效。欧盟和各国政府应通过减税和其他政策来促进此类更健康食品成分的供应和使用，使更健康的选择比传统选择更便宜。它们还应在更健康的食品选择包装上引入并推广使用诱人的营养和健康声明，这些食品的钾、钙和/或镁含量增加，钠含量降低。这种定价和声明方法将有助于消费者选择更健康的食品替代品，同时也使食品行业更愿意改进食品成分。
