Ps-bpc11-6: usefulness of bone broth soup for the reduction of salt intake

Objective: Salt reduction is most important in guidance regarding lifestyle modifications in Japanese hypertensive patients as well as for the health of the general population. However, low-salt diets have not been preferred because they are not delicious. Thus, we investigated the influence of bone broth soup on the saltiness and palatability in this study. Design and method: Subjects comprised 103 staffs working at Kokura Daiichi Hospital (22 males, 81 females, mean age 35 ± 12 years old). They tested 0.9% NaCl solutions (A), 0.6% NaCl solutions (B) and 0.6% NaCl solutions with bone broth soup (C). Evaluations of saltiness and palatability for each solution were conducted using a visual analog scale in a double-blinded randomized manner. We estimated 24-hour salt excretion using spot urine samples and also assessed BP, the awareness of salt intake using self-description questionnaire score (range 0 to 35, from the lowest to the highest), medication and other confounding factors including lifestyles. Results: In all subjects, average estimated salt intake was 9.0 ± 2.0 g/day and each rate of achievement of salt intake was 15.1% in 73 female without hypertension (< 6.5 g/day), 23.5% in 17 male without hypertension (< 7.5 g/day), 0.0% in 13 hypertension (< 6.0 g/day). Both in saltiness and palatability, B was significantly lower than A, but C was significantly higher than B. Salt intake levels were categorized into quantile (Q1, lowest; Q3, highest). C in palatability was significantly higher in the Q1 group than in the Q3 group (0.6 ± 1.4 vs -0.2 ± 1.1, p < 0.01). Urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio and total average score for the awareness of salt intake on the questionnaire in the Q1 group was significantly lower and compared to that in the Q3 group (2.34 ± 2.34 vs 4.54 ± 2.16, p < 0.01; 11.7 ± 5.1 vs 13.5 ± 4.5, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Most subjects failed to achieve the goal of salt intake. Group with high salt intake might be able to feel less palatable. Our results indicate that bone broth soup seems effective in reducing salt intake without loss of palatability.