Sodium, Potassium & Blood Pressure: Evidence Map and Systematic Review

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It is proposed that modest reductions in sodium intake coupled with increases in potassium from a variety of sources including potassium chloride and/or other supplemental potassium salts may achieve the public health goals of reduced hypertension and cardiovascular risk even if the 2,300 mg dietary intake of sodium goal is not met.

This project seeks to identify new research that addresses questions posed by the 2019 DRI committee report on the relationship between potassium intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Specifically, to determine through knowledge mapping whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a systematic review to characterize the relationship between potassium (in foods, and different forms of potassium from supplements, and potassium rich sodium substitutes) and CVD risk, alone and in combination with sodium reduction.

If the knowledge map indicates sufficient evidence for a full systematic review, that systematic review is expected to bring credible weight to future deliberations about dietary guidance among authoritative bodies such as the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) on dietary reference intakes and to inform the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

This project builds on a strong body of research of the SoFHI committee over the past decade regarding the safety of increasing potassium intake in the population as a tool for sodium reduction and research on sodium: potassium ratio.

A Request for Proposals was issued in March 2025 for the Phase I Evidence Map.

Institution: New York University
Principal Investigator: Jeanette Beasley, PhD, RD, MPH
Year Awarded: 2025

This work is supported by IAFNS Sodium in Foods & Health Implications Committee.

Validating Dual Column Food Products in Database

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The USDA Global Branded Food Products Database is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS), GS1 US, 1WorldSync and the University of Maryland (UMD), whose goal is to enhance public health and to share open data by augmenting the USDA FoodData Central with nutrient composition and ingredient information on branded foods. The USDA Global Branded Food Products Database is seamlessly integrated into the USDA FoodData Central (FDC) and ensures that these data elements are publicly available to those who will utilize them. This includes, but is not limited to, federal agencies, the research community, international databases, proprietary databases and end users, the food industry, and consumers.

USDA is in the process of incorporating new data elements and attributes into the database including rounded per serving label values and dual column nutrition label information.

The goal of this project is to validate dual-column label data submitted via the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN) by manufacturers. Industry members of the SoFHI committee will work with USDA to review the data, identify and resolve any issues and validate the data as presented in FDC, GBFPD.

USDA will publish the results of the data quality initiatives and the Partnership will leverage the data to promote greater participation from CPG companies to share nutrition data with USDA via GDSN.

To learn more about the USDA FoodData Central visit https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/ and A Partnership for Public Health: USDA Global Branded Food Products Database

This work benefits from in-kind support from the IAFNS Sodium in Foods and Health Implications Committee

IAFNS Expert Dialogue on Sodium Reduction and Public Health

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