Day 252 - 20 May 96 - Page 37


     
     1        based on a study in which the gradual rise in blood
     2        pressure in children as they got older was related to their
     3        excretion of sodium and potassium.
     4
     5        Now, both sodium and potassium are virtually excreted
     6        totally in the urine, so all one has to do is to collect
     7        the urine and this is by far the best way of estimating
     8        sodium and potassium intakes.  What was found in the study
     9        was that the children with the lowest sodium intakes,
    10        measured over a period of many years, had a much decreased
    11        rise in blood pressure as they got older.  But this was
    12        also associated with potassium intake and, of the two,
    13        potassium seems to be more influential, that sodium has the
    14        effect of pushing the blood cholesterol up, whereas
    15        potassium has the effect of depressing it and, in fact,
    16        what seemed to be more important was the ratio of sodium
    17        and potassium in the diet.
    18
    19   Q.   Do you know the name of that study?
    20        A.   No.  I think they were by Dutch authors, I cannot
    21        recall it, but it is one of the very few studies that has
    22        been done on children over a period of time.
    23
    24        The problem with talking about sodium and potassium is that
    25        whereas the public in general can just about get the hang
    26        of sodium and realise it has to do with salt, potassium is
    27        really a difference kettle of fish altogether, people
    28        simply do not understand potassium, and the COMA Report, in
    29        fact, the previous COMA Report on diet and heart disease
    30        pointed out an increase in potassium intake would have a
    31        more dramatic effect on blood pressure than a reduction in
    32        salt intake, but this is something that is very difficult
    33        to promote as a health education measure because people
    34        simply do not understand potassium.
    35        I think that comes in the paragraph following the one that
    36        you mentioned, the importance of potassium.
    37
    38        To some extent, this is taken care of with a recommendation
    39        of increased consumption of fruit and vegetables which are
    40        major source of potassium so that if people consumed more
    41        fruit and vegetables they will inevitably consume more
    42        potassium and this will be beneficial.
    43
    44   Q.   Right, and if they were consuming more fruit and
    45        vegetables, if they were to keep their overall energy
    46        intake the same, they would consume less meat and dairy
    47        produce?
    48        A.  Well, it depends on what fruit and vegetables were
    49        displacing in the diet.  I do not think that people would
    50        think about their food in quite that way. 
    51 
    52   Q.   Those were the general recommendations though? 
    53        A.   Yes, an increase in the consumption of fruit and
    54        vegetables.
    55
    56   Q.   And a decrease in the consumption of meat and diary
    57        products?
    58        A.   Can you point that out to me?  I did not realise that
    59        it actually said that anywhere in the Report.
    60

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