Sodium Intake Recommendations Updated

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have updated their intake recommendations for sodium and potassium, originally published in 2005.

The new Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) were developed following a review of available literature by a National Academies committee, and also incorporate guidance from a 2017 National Academies report on the development of specific values for chronic disease risk reduction, called Chronic Disease Risk Reduction Intakes (CDRRs).

Updated sodium Adequate Intakes (AIs) are:

• 110 mg daily for infants 0-6 months
• 370 mg daily for infants 7-12 months
• 800 mg daily for children ages 1-3
• 1000 mg daily for ages 4-8
• 1200 mg daily for ages 9-13
• 1500 mg daily for ages 14 and older

Updated potassium AIs are:

• 400 mg daily for infants 0-6 months
• 860 mg daily for infants 7-12 months
• 2000 mg daily for children ages 1-3
• 2300 mg daily for ages 4-8

CDRR for sodium, established using evidence of the beneficial effects of reducing sodium intake, recommended that individuals aged 14 years and older should reduce sodium intakes if above 2300 mg per day.

“Despite moderately strong evidence that potassium supplementation reduces blood pressure, particularly among adults with hypertension, a potassium CDRR cannot be established because of unexplained inconsistency in the body of evidence, a lack of intake–response relationship, and limited evidence for relationships between potassium intake and chronic disease endpoints,” the authors wrote.

“The lack of a potassium CDRR does not imply a lack of an effect of potassium intake on chronic disease, but rather a lack of evidence to characterize the effect.”

—Michael Potts

References:

Sodium and potassium dietary reference intake values updated in new report; introduces new category for sodium based on chronic disease risk reduction [press release]. Washington, DC. March 5, 2019. https://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=25353&_ga=2.210673559.303896039.1551797918-1521275022.1551797918.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for sodium and potassium: Consensus study report highlights. Published March 5, 2019. https://www.nap.edu/resource/25353/030519DRISodiumPotassium.pdf.