Sodium, Potassium and Chloride Utilizations Affected by White Corn Bread, Yellow Corn Bread, and Whole Wheat Bread Diets in Humans

Sodium restricted diets are known to lower blood pressure in salt sensitive, hypertensive patients. Thare is increasing evidence that potassium plays an important role as a protective factor in the regulation of blood pressure. The objective of the current study was to measure parameters of sodium, potassium, and chloride utilization as affected by feeding of substantial quantities of bread made from whole ground white torn meal, whole ground yellow corn meal, and whole ground wheat flour. The breads provided 40 percent of a caloric content of the constant, measured laboratory diet. The 28-day study was divided into an introductory period of 7-days and three experimental periods of 7-days each. Order of assignment to specific treatments for 12 healthy subjects were according to a complete randomized block design. Yellow corn bread diets resulted in the highest potassium retention (243 mg/day) and the lowest urinary sodium and potassium ratio (1.53 $\pm$ 0.26) numerically in comparison to the other test breads. The excretions of sodium and chloride were higher during controlled feeding periods than during the self-selected diet period(p < 0.05). This indicates a response to the higher intake of these electrolytes from the experimental diets than from self-selected diets. There was no significant difference in the effect of white corn bread, yellow corn bread, or whole wheat bread diet on electrolyte status in humans. However, the yellow corn bread diet resulted in a somewhat more favorable urina교 sodium to potassium ratio than that from white corn bread or whole wheat bread diet.