Sodium chloride plays an important role as the main condiment at daily meal. It is well known that humans require sodium chloride as an essential nutrient to keep the homeostasis of electrolytes The amounts of salt intake may be a reflection of geography, culture and food_ habit rather than necessity. Lee has reported (1962) that Koreans ingest high amounts of sodium chloride in their meals, with an intake of excess carbohydrate (8090 % of total Calories) and. low protein in their diet.
This includes large amounts of rice, Kimchi and other fermented soybean products common in the Korean diet.
This investigation was designed to study the dietary relations of sodium chloride to other nutrients in the Korean diet. Twenty four albino male rats, weighing from 290-300g, were divided into four dietary groups according to the amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat in. the basal diet. Each diet contained a rice powder as a carbohydrate source. Diet I was a ccntrol diet, Diet II, low protein, Diet III, low protein and low fat diet and Diet IV, low fat diet. All rats were provided with 3,60 sodium chloride solution. Diet and salt solution were given ad. libitum. The experiment was carried out for 9 weeks during which time the body weight, the-food intake, and 3 o sodium chloride solution consumption were determined. At the 9th week,. the urine was collected the blood sample from the artery of each rat for the analysis of scdium and potassium and other chemical studies. The rats were sacrifired and the kidney, adrenal, liver and spleen were measured, and observed changes of the pathological tissue in the kidney and adrenal.
The results were summarized as follows:
1) The growth rate was higher in Diet 1 than in the. other experimental diets (II; III and IV) after 4 weeks. There was no significant difference found between the experimental Diets II,
III and IV.
2) The daily food intake was greater in the experimental diets II, III and IV than in the control diet. However, there was no difference among the high carbohydrate diets Diet II, III and IV.
3) The daily water (3 % sodium chloride solution) intake was also greater in the Diets II, III and IV, than in the control diet. However, there was no difference between Diets II,_ III and IV.
4) The concentration of sodium and potassium in the blood were within the normal range in all diets.
5) The amount of sodium chloride in the urine was significantly greater in Diets 1, M and IV
than in the control diet. Diets II, III, IV had a larger amount of sodium solution consumption.
6) Observation of pathological tissue in the experimental diets found a cell proliferation in the
glomerlulus of the kidney, while such change was not found in the control diet.
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