Abstract

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has commissioned RIVM to compile an overview of the research into the Dutch population’s intake of sodium (i.e. salt), potassium and iodine. The overview makes clear in which areas knowledge is lacking, which further research is required and what the policy recommendations are.

The research shows that the Dutch population’s salt intake has decreased in recent years, but it is still too high. Too much salt may lead to elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is therefore important that the amount that people ingest on a daily basis continues to decrease.

The Health Council of the Netherlands has determined a maximum daily salt intake of 6 grams. According to the most recent measurements, the daily intake is currently 11 grams for men and 8 grams for women. The government has already taken a range of measures, such as incentivising producers to lower the amount of salt in food products. More measures and better implementation are needed to reduce the salt intake to the desired level.

In order to maintain the right blood pressure, it is essential to ingest a sufficiently high amount of potassium. The current potassium intake is sufficient and has remained stable in recent years. However, people suffering from kidney failure should not ingest too much potassium. A sufficiently high amount of iodine must be ingested to ensure proper functioning of the thyroid.
The Dutch population’s iodine intake has fallen in recent years, but it has so far been just about sufficient. It is important that this intake does not decrease further, particularly for women of child-bearing age. Iodine plays a vital role in the development of the brain of the unborn child.

RIVM believes it is important to investigate which measures can be used to further reduce salt intake, bearing in mind that these measures must be coherent. As an example, iodine is an additive in salt. Reducing the amount of salt in food products should not lead to a lower iodine intake. And potassium is often used as a sodium (salt) substitute, which may lead to an excessive potassium intake.

Moreover, these intakes are also affected by other developments. For instance, people are being encouraged to consume less animal protein to reduce the burden on the environment (the ‘protein transition’), but animal products often contain iodine. Vegetable products, on the other hand, often contain potassium. Given that the iodine intake has been falling and is currently barely sufficient for women, the recommendation is to devise a plan at short notice to prevent the iodine intake from falling further.