Day 014 - 20 Jul 94 - Page 38


     
     1        essential.
 
     2   Q.   Is it essential?
              A.  Oh, yes.
     3
         Q.   It is essential?
     4        A.  Oh, yes.
 
     5   Q.   To what kind (do you know, and if not, say so) of
              degenerative or other conditions can a sodium deficiency
     6        lead?
              A.  To be honest, I could not tell you because I think it
     7        is fairly uncommon.
 
     8   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   It would be impossible to eat at all
              without taking on board sodium, would it not,- to eat any
     9        kind of what people in this country might consider to be
              normal food?
    10        A.  Yes.
 
    11   Q.   I.e. Not just surviving on alcohol or chocolates?
              A.  Yes, is that right.  The presence of sodium in foods
    12        in this country is very widely distributed.
 
    13   Q.   I am not talking about added salt, but sodium actually in
              the chemical makeup of the ----?
    14        A.  Again, sodium is present in milk; it is present in
              meat;  it is present in a range of plant and animal foods.
    15
         MR. RAMPTON:  Can I, if I may, read the whole of the section
    16        25.3 on page 153 which is headed Requirements?  Do you
              have that?
    17        A.  Yes.
 
    18   Q.   "25.3.1 Healthy adults maintain balance on intakes as low
              as ----" Can I use milligrams per day as that is what we
    19        shall use later on?
              A.  Yes.
    20
         Q.  " ---- (69- 460 mg/d), and some healthy populations have
    21        daily intakes of less than 920 mg.  The role of higher Na
              intakes in the pathogenesis of hypertension has generated
    22        much interest, but the evidence supporting this or
              indicating the relative importance of Na intakes is
    23        unclear."  That is at, probably, 1991.  Have matters moved
              on since then or not?
    24        A.  Yes, I think they have.
 
    25   Q.   In which direction?
              A.  There is growing awareness of the links between 
    26        dietary sodium and hypertension and the incidence of 
              strokes. 
    27
         Q.   So, might it be for once in a way that in this regard
    28        American concern has led the way and we have followed
              behind?
    29        A.  That would be fair comment, although what I should say
              is that my earlier answer related to the publication of
    30        recent studies on this topic which I suspect will be taken
              into account when this part of the report would be

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