Salt Intake From Bread Higher Than You Think: Study

Atlanta - It seems high amounts of salt are in many places, and almost a certain thing in processed and canned foods. Now a study reveals bread is the main source of salt in the American diet.


The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study that names the top ten sources for salt. Surprisingly junk food such as potato chips, pretzels, and popcorn were at the bottom of the list.

While not the saltiest foods, breads and rolls tend to be consumed by more people than other foods. This means breads and rolls, while they make up just seven percent of an average American's salt intake, can add salt intake at an alarming rate. What complicates matters is different types of the same food, in this example bread, can vary greatly. White bread can have anywhere between 80 and 230 milligrams of sodium per slice and a small bag of potato chips can hold 450 to more than 1,000 milligrams.


The finding that ten simple foods are responsible for slightly more than 40 percent of overall salt intake surprised even CDC officials.

According to the study Americans consume more than 3,300 milligrams of sodium a day, while the recommended amount is 2,300 and even less for some people with health issues.

Rank†	Food category§	Age group (yrs)
		≥2	2–19	2–5	6–11	12–19	≥20	20–50	51–70	≥71
		% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)
1	Breads and rolls	7.4 (0.2)	6.9 (0.4)	6.5 (0.5)	7.8 (0.6)	6.5 (0.4)	7.5 (0.2)	7.2 (0.3)	7.8 (0.4)	9.6 (0.3)
2	Cold cuts/cured meats	5.1 (0.3)	4.4 (0.4)	3.4 (0.5)	4.3 (0.4)	4.9 (0.7)	5.3 (0.3)	5.5 (0.5)	4.6 (0.2)	6.0 (0.5)
3	Pizza	4.9 (0.2)	7.3 (0.4)	4.8 (0.7)	7.2 (0.6)	8.2 (0.7)	4.1 (0.2)	5.0 (0.4)	3.0 (0.4)	1.7 (0.2)
4	Poultry	4.5 (0.2)	5.5 (0.4)	5.5 (0.4)	4.7 (0.4)	6.0 (0.6)	4.2 (0.3)	4.5 (0.3)	3.9 (0.3)	2.7 (0.3)
5	Soups	4.3 (0.3)	4.0 (0.2)	5.3 (0.9)	3.6 (0.4)	3.9 (0.4)	4.4 (0.4)	4.2 (0.4)	4.6 (0.7)	5.7 (0.7)
6	Sandwiches¶	4.0 (0.3)	4.4 (0.3)	3.5 (0.3)	3.9 (0.3)	5.0 (0.5)	3.9 (0.3)	4.5 (0.3)	3.2 (0.6)	3.7 (0.5)
7	Cheese**	3.8 (0.2)	3.8 (0.3)	4.2 (0.4)	3.7 (0.3)	3.9 (0.4)	3.8 (0.2)	3.9 (0.2)	3.5 (0.2)	1.8 (0.3)
8	Pasta mixed dishes††	3.3 (0.2)	3.8 (0.4)	4.0 (0.6)	4.0 (0.5)	3.7 (0.4)	3.1 (0.2)	3.4 (0.4)	2.4 (0.5)	2.9 (0.3)
9	Meat mixed dishes	3.2 (0.3)	2.1 (0.4)	—§§	2.2 (0.5)	1.9 (0.4)	3.6 (0.3)	3.5 (0.3)	3.6 (0.7)	4.2 (0.7)
10	Savory snacks¶¶	3.1 (0.2)	4.4 (0.3)	3.4 (0.2)	4.6 (0.4)	4.6 (0.6)	2.8 (0.2)	2.8 (0.2)	3.0 (0.4)	1.6 (0.2)
Mean daily sodium consumption (mg) (SE)		3,266(40)	2,957 (53)	2,245 (54)	2,944 (72)	3,310 (70)	3,372 (48)	3,568 (58)	3,239 (73)	2,658 (77)
Unweighted no. of participants in sample		7,227	2,544	662	901	981	4,683	2,280	1,549	854
Abbreviation: SE = standard error. * The population proportion (%) of sodium consumed is defined as the sum of the amount of sodium consumed from each specific food category for all participants divided by the sum of sodium consumed from all food categories for all participants multiplied by 100. All estimates use two observations per person, take into account the complex sampling design, and use 2-day diet sample weights to account for nonresponse and weekend/weekday recalls. Standard errors of the estimates are in parentheses. † Rank based on population proportions of sodium consumed for overall U.S. population aged ≥ 2 years. Columns for other age groups are ordered by this ranking. Additional information regarding food categorization is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6105-table.htm. § Food categories contributing ≥ 3% to overall sodium consumption within specific age groups but not listed among the top 10 contributors were as follows: persons aged 2–19 years, frankfurters and sausages (3.7%) and ready-to-eat cereal (3.2%); 2–5 years, frankfurters and sausages (5.4%), whole and reduced fat milk (4.7%), and ready-to-eat cereal (3.7%); 6–11 years, frankfurters and sausages (4.1%), and ready-to-eat cereals (3.4%); 12–19 years, burritos, tacos, and tamales (4.0%); 20–50 years, burritos, tacos, tamales (3.4%); 51–70 years, salad dressings and vegetable oils (3.5%); ≥71 years, biscuits, muffins, quick breads (3.2%). ¶ Sandwiches as identified by a single WWEIA code. ** Natural and processed cheese. †† Pasta mixed dishes category does not include macaroni and cheese, which is its own category. §§ Data are statistically unreliable; relative standard error ≥ 30%. ¶¶ Includes snacks such as chips, puffs, popcorn, and pretzels.

TABLE 2. Ranked population proportions of sodium consumed* by persons aged ≥2 years, by selected food categories, sex, and selected race/ethnicities — What We Eat in America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2007–2008
Rank†	Food category§	Sex		Race/Ethnicity
		Male	Female	non-Hispanic white	non-Hispanic black	Mexican-American
		% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)	% (SE)
1	Breads and rolls	7.4 (0.3)	7.4 (0.2)	7.9 (0.3)	6.7 (0.3)	5.2 (0.2)
2	Cold cuts/cured meats	5.8 (0.5)	4.3 (0.2)	5.5 (0.4)	4.6 (0.4)	4.1 (0.3)
3	Pizza	5.7 (0.3)	4.0 (0.3)	4.9 (0.2)	5.6 (0.6)	5.2 (0.2)
4	Poultry	4.5 (0.3)	4.5 (0.2)	4.1 (0.3)	7.2 (0.5)	4.5 (0.3)
5	Soups	4.3 (0.4)	4.4 (0.3)	3.6 (0.3)	3.2 (0.5)	6.2 (0.8)
6	Sandwiches¶	4.3 (0.4)	3.7 (0.3)	3.7 (0.4)	6.0 (0.7)	4.1 (0.4)
7	Cheese**	3.7 (0.1)	3.9 (0.3)	4.1 (0.2)	3.0 (0.2)	3.2 (0.2)
8	Pasta mixed dishes††	3.2 (0.2)	3.4 (0.3)	3.5 (0.2)	3.1 (0.2)	1.8 (0.2)
9	Meat mixed dishes	3.1 (0.2)	3.4 (0.5)	3.6 (0.3)	2.3 (0.2)	2.0 (0.2)
10	Savory snacks§§	2.9 (0.2)	3.4 (0.2)	3.3 (0.2)	3.2 (0.2)	2.8 (0.2)
Mean daily sodium consumption (mg) (SE)		3,760 (57)	2,828 (36)	3,324 (49)	3,116 (51)	3,037 (49)
Unweighted no. of participants in sample		3,557	3,670	3,115	1,600	1,407
Abbreviation: SE = standard error. * The population proportion (%) of sodium consumed is defined as the sum of the amount of sodium consumed from each specific food category for all participants divided by the sum of sodium consumed from all food categories for all participants multiplied by 100. All estimates use two observations per person, take into account the complex sampling design, and use 2-day diet sample weights to account for nonresponse and weekend/weekday recalls. Standard errors of the estimates are in parentheses. † Rank based on population proportions of sodium consumed for overall U.S. population aged ≥ 2 years. Columns for other age groups are ordered by this ranking. Additional information regarding food categorization is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6105-table.htm. § Food categories contributing ≥ 3% to overall sodium consumption within specific age groups but not listed among the top 10 contributors were as follows: males, frankfurters and sausages (3.3%), and burritos, tacos, and tamales (3.2%); females, frankfurters and sausages (3.3%), burritos, tacos, and tamales (3.2%); non-Hispanic blacks, frankfurters and sausages (5.0%), salad dressings and vegetable oils (2.4%); Mexican-Americans, burritos, tacos, and tamales (6.8%), tortillas (4.7%), and eggs and eggs mixed dishes (3.8%). ¶ Sandwiches as identified by a single WWEIA code. ** Natural and processed cheese. †† Pasta mixed dishes category does not include macaroni and cheese, which is its own category. §§ Includes snacks such as chips, puffs, popcorn, and pretzels.

TABLE 3. Population proportions of sodium consumed* and mean sodium density,† by food source category and age group — What We Eat in America, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2007–2008
Age group (yrs)	Food source category§
	Store	Restaurant with fast food/pizza	Restaurant with waiter/waitress	Cafeteria at school/child care center	Other
≥2
Population proportion, % (SE)	65.2 (1.0)	13.6 (0.7)	11.2 (0.7)	—	10.0 (0.5)
Sodium density, mg/1,000 kcal	1,519 (10)	1,848 (16)	2,090 (32)	—	1,676 (21)
2–19
Population proportion, % (SE)	65.5 (1.1)	13.7 (0.6)	6.3 (0.7)	8.1 (1.2)	6.3 (0.5)
Sodium density, mg/1,000 kcal	1,509 (14)	1,745 (20)	1,970 (63)	1,701 (22)	1,501 (58)
≥20
Population proportion, % (SE)	65.1 (1.3)	13.6 (0.8)	12.7 (0.8)	—	8.6 (0.4)
Sodium density, mg/1,000 kcal	1,522 (12)	1,882 (23)	2,110 (29)	—	1,712 (24)
Abbreviation: SE = standard error. * The populat2on proportion (%) of sodium consumed is defined as the sum of the amount of sodium consumed from each specific food source category for all participants divided by the sum of sodium consumed from all food source categories for all participants multiplied by 100. All estimates use two obs2rvations per person, take into account the complex sampling design, and use 2-day diet sample weights to account for nonresponse and weekend/weekday recalls. Standard errors of the estimates are in parentheses. The unweighted number of participants in each sample was 7,227 (2,554 children and 4,683 adults). † A measure that accounts for differences in the amount of calories consumed from foods obtained from each source, defined as mg of sodium per 1,000 kcal. § Food source categories were analyzed from responses to the question, "Where did you get this (most of the ingredients for this) [food name]?" "Cafeteria at school" and "child care center" were combined in one category. Sources other than those shown were combined under "other" and included "from someone else/gift" (3.9% population proportion among those aged ≥2 years), cafeteria at school/child care center (2.1%), and 19 other sources (e.g., vending machine), including "missing," "do not know," and "other/specify" (<1%). For persons not aged 2–19 years, "cafeteria at school" and "child care center" were grouped in the "other" category because <1% reported consumption of sodium from foods obtained at these locations.

TABLE 4. Percent of persons aged > 2 years who consumed the food from the specified food category* and among those persons, the proportion who obtained the food from stores, restaurants, or other sources — What We Eat in America (WWEIA), National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 2007–2008
Rank	Food category	No. of consumers§	% (SE)¶	Food source category†
				Store % (SE)	Restaurant with fast food/pizza % (SE)	Restaurant with waiter/waitress % (SE)	Other % (SE)
1	Breads and rolls	5,672	79.9 (0.9)	76.4 (1.3)	6.7 (0.8)	8.7 (0.6)	8.2 (0.7)
2	Cold cuts/cured meats	2,469	33.9 (1.2)	78.8 (1.1)	6.5 (1.0)	5.4 (0.9)	9.3 (1.2)
3	Pizza	1,569	21.9 (0.7)	27.2 (3.1)	51.2 (3.5)	13.2 (2.1)	8.4 (1.1)
4	Poultry	3,659	48.3 (1.3)	46.0 (2.4)	26.6 (1.9)	16.7 (1.2)	10.7 (1.3)
5	Soups	1,670	22.0 (1.3)	77.4 (4.3)	—**	12.5 (3.6)	7.5 (1.1)
6	Sandwiches††	1,480	20.6 (1.1)	11.9 (1.2)	84.5 (1.4)	—	3.0 (0.8)
7	Cheese§§	3,833	56.2 (1.9)	72.4 (1.2)	10.5 (1.0)	8.2 (0.6)	8.9 (0.9)
8	Pasta mixed dishes¶¶	1,183	17.6 (0.9)	82.2 (3.2)	—	7.4 (1.6)	8.8 (1.5)
9	Meat mixed dishes	1,417	21.8 (1.4)	76.7 (3.5)	5.4 (1.2)	9.2 (2.3)	8.7 (2.0)
10	Savory snacks***	3,599	50.7 (1.5)	81.7 (1.5)	3.6 (1.0)	2.5 (0.4)	12.2 (1.2)
* Ranked by population proportions (%) of sodium consumed by persons aged ≥2 years. The population proportion (%) of sodium consumed is defined as the sum of the amount of sodium consumed from each specific food source category for all participants who consumed foods within the specified food category divided by the sum of sodium consumed from all food source categories for all participants who consumed foods within the specified food category multiplied by 100. All estimates use two observations per person, take into account the complex sampling design, and use 2-day diet sample weights to account for nonresponse and weekend/weekday recalls. Standard errors of the estimates are in parentheses. Data were limited to the food categories ranked in the top 10 in population proportion of sodium consumed by persons aged ≥2 years. † Food source categories were analyzed from responses to the question, "Where did you get this (most of the ingredients for this) [food name]?" Sources other than those shown were combined under "other" and included "from someone else/gift" (3.9% population proportion among those aged ≥2 years), cafeteria at school/child care center (2.1%), and 19 other sources (e.g., vending machine), including "missing," "do not know," and "other/specify" (<1%). § No. of participants aged ≥2 who reported consumption of at least one food within the selected food category on either day of the two 24-hour dietary recall. ¶ Percentage of participants aged ≥2 years who reported consumption of at least one food within the selected food category on either day of the two 24-hour dietary recalls. ** Data are statistically unreliable, relative standard error ≥30%. †† Sandwiches as identified by a single WWEIA code. §§ Natural and processed cheese. ¶¶ Pasta mixed dishes category does not include macaroni and cheese, which is its own category. *** Includes snacks such as chips, puffs, popcorn, and pretzels.