ASSESSMENT OF SODIUM AND POTASSIUM CONTENT OF SELECTED BRANDED SALT.

Sodium is a micronutrient with essential roles in human physiology. It is a major electrolyte of extracellular fluid and along with potassium, is necessary for optimal biological functions in the body. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of sodium and potassium should be ensured to maintain these functions. Studies revealed that 100g of dietary salt contains 40g of sodium and 0.7g of potassium. The objective is to investigate sodium and potassium content of selected branded salt. The branded salt used in this study include Dangote salt, Mr. chef salt, Natural sea salt, and Tee gen salt. Sodium and Potassium content of these salts was analyzed using AOAC 2019.The samples were purchased from four markets stadium, Lagos, Minna and Akande market. The brand of each sample was randomly selected from variety brands that are available in the mark et. Natural sea salt typically has lower sodium level (0.006585%) and higher potassium (0.00664%), Dangote salt have higher sodium of (0.00847%) and lower potassium of (0.002255%), Mr. chef is high in sodium (0.009525%) compare to potassium (0.0029%) that is low, Tee gen salt is high in sodium (0.011685%) and contain potassium but the exact percentage is low (0.00197%). The sodium and potassium content in branded salts was analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry(AAS), a total of four brands was selected and analyzed for assessing the sodium and potassium contents in them. In conclusion, this study shows that prolonged high sodium in the body can lead to the development of hypertension or high blood pressure, damage the kidneys and increases cardiovascular risk.